


6  Terry and Alice 20 Years Later: Christmas at Tiburon

by Mariahtessjojasper



Category: Proof of Life (2000)
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:55:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 36
Words: 37,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28207932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mariahtessjojasper/pseuds/Mariahtessjojasper
Summary: 36/28, 36/29
Relationships: Alice Bowman - Relationship, Dino Deane, Dino/Terry Thorne, Terry Thorne - Relationship





	1. The Day of the Party Dec 18

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Russell Crowe](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Russell+Crowe).



The day of Terry and Alice's Christmas party, Terry is up first. He makes coffee and looks out the kitchen window at the two towers of the Golden Gate Bridge. It is cold and bright, crystal clear, the big towers are red not gold in the morning light. The wind is blowing down across The Bay from the East Bay Hills. Everything is ready for the party tonight. As far as he can tell. He hopes it won't be too windy. ~~They are on the west side so they are protected somewhat.~~

It is their first real party. They had a little thing after Pakistan. More of a get together. He wanted to do that one. Had to reassure Alice that people wouldn't mind the boxes stacked around. They have been married just over a year and in the Tiburon House since June but hadn't finished completely unpacking until just before Thanksgiving.

First there was the meeting in London in June and Terry and Dino had to go to Beirut. And Stephen was killed. That was horrible. Then Amal died. And that was horrible. And India and Pakistan. And then they bought the house. The realtor found the house while Alice was in India. And Alice flew back with Mac and they looked at it. And he said if you like it, Alice, buy it. And she did.

And then the retreat in July and that was kind of fun. That was fun. Nobody was killed. Okay, Hasan got stitches. Iz had a broken rib. And McKenzie was nearly fired. But the hostage negotiation had been a success. And a guy who showed up with a harmonica had played great with Terry’s band. ~~And Terry had stretched his negotiating muscles and~~ He did finally get Alice in a Kayak. Though he knew she didn't enjoy it. But she gave in. He liked that she was stubborn but that he could get her to give in. He liked being married to her. He knew he would. He liked looking across the room at her and knowing, "She's my wife." Dino got impatient with Alice, her opinions, thought she intruded into Global business, but Dino knew what she meant to him. What it meant to him to be married to her.

And in October, they went to Africa and looked at Kilimanjaro, waited for Nick and Jenna to come down. Then they flew to Pretoria and visited Mali's grave. And began the process of moving her body to the The States. And they went to Breaker Morant's grave. A lot of Australians did. It wasn't like Gallipoli or anything. But it bothered him that it wasn't better maintained. He knew there were people who wanted to move Breaker Morant's body. To Australia. Terry was thinking about that. But they were definitely going to move Mali's body. And Alice was beginning the paperwork. And Mac and Briggs were going to help with anything legal. It would take a year, he imagined. Nick seemed glad about it. That it was important to him. Nick had told Terry, "I always felt like someone was missing from the family." Terry wished Henry would have come to Africa with them. But he said he didn't get a request in soon enough. That it would be a problem to get someone to cover his flights. Or maybe he didn't really want to. But he was planning to sail the Hallberg-Rassy back across the Atlantic with him next year and he thought he would do the canal too. Henry had never done the canal and Terry thought everybody should do it once. Like Everest base camp. At least once. Maybe Henry would come up to base camp when Nick did Everest.

So this was their first real party. He thought people had too many parties at Christmas. Suggested they wait til after the holidays, but she wanted to do it. And he wanted her to be happy.

"We are a couple. We have to give parties together. I want us to have a Christmas party in this house. Us. ~~The two of us~~. "

If that was what she wanted. And he was curious. How would she do it? What would it be like. He liked to watch her. Nick called it "bustling about." He said it with an English accent. Terry could tell he’d been saying it a long time. It wasn’t imitating Terry. "Watch out Terry she is bustling about." It was Nick's party too. She’d told him to invite who he wanted. Jenna was a given. He invited some school friends. Some climbing buddies. A couple of kids he had played soccer with. The three of them had gone over the guest list together at the kitchen table. Terry got a kick out of doing it. Nick wanted Noah and Angela and Pietro. Noah had found a Citroen and Terry hoped he’d bring it. Angela and Pietro were still living in London but were home for Christmas. He and Alice decided to include the Wyatts and Zelenskis and the Patels. He would have just invited the Wyatts. He liked Tom. ~~Whether the Bergmans and the Sanchezs should be invited was debated. Cherie came down on inviting them and Alice ulitmatley went wiht Cherie. He thought it was a bad idea. Tom Wyaat thought it was a speccacularyl bad idea. Tom had said, Man I'm coming to have a good time. Snachez is likely to find a way to~~

 ~~spoil it.~~   
Terry invited Will Abernathy the FBI Special Agent in Charge he’d met during the hijacking. McKenzie's old boss. Terry liked him. Wanted to be friendly with him now that Terry was going to be living in the Bay Area. He and his wife were coming. It was a big party. Sami was in London, so was Max. They weren't coming. Grady was back in Beirut. But Grady and his wife had come to the retreat in July. Promised to come to the retreat next year as well. But the Global people from the San Francisco office were invited. Jay and Gale and Hassan. McKenzie. McKenzie was eventually going to the DC office to be with Babbitt. Iz would probably buy a town home there.   
  


Terry would have insisted on Iz being invited, but Alice already had him on her list, so it was a non-issue. Terry insisted he should be the one to invite Iz. Terry called Iz and asked Iz if he wanted to come. Iz said of course, he would be most delighted to attend. And Terry said he wanted his word that there would be no fighting with Hasan under any circumstances. Terry said I mean it, mate. And Iz had said of course in his dear friend Alice's house how could he do anything but show the utmost respect for his hostess and he would behave only as a gentleman, regardless of the provocations. And Terry laid it on thick. That it was their first party in their new house and he didn't want anything to spoil it for Alice. And Iz said how wounded he was that Terry could even think that he could ever do anything ever to cause any suffering of any kind to their dear Alice. How could Terry think such a thing. And so of course Iz was coming. Hasan was coming and Terry had called him too. He said of course he would behave. And Hasan usually did behave. He was the coolest operative Terry had. Usually. Only seen him out of control once. McKenzie was enough to make anyone crazy. Even Hasan. It was McKenzie he was worried about. Terry knew she could wind-up Iz and Hasan if she wanted to. She didn't mean it, but she couldn't seem to resist. Maybe he ought to get Will Abernathy to take her back to the FBI somehow. Now that he thought about it, the party was probably a terrible idea. He should have insisted on taking Alice and Nick to a cabin in Mammoth or Switzerland. And Henry if he wanted to come. But Alice said she liked to be home for Christmas. And she wanted this. Next year he'd say no. Just a quiet Christmas.

Alice insisted that they get a lot of new Christmas decorations. Shopped for them together. He didn’t care but he could see it was important to her. She worried that Nick might mind, but he seemed okay with it. They kept things that she thought would be important to Nick. Put them up, put them out. The rest she kept out in the garage after she was finished decorating. In case there was something Nick remembered and wanted, she could go get it. But there was nothing. He looked at the tree said, "It's great mom" and left for a meeting of his climbing club. Alice had worried but it seemed Nick was happy with whatever Alice had put out for Christmas. And Terry was happy if Alice was happy and she was happy if Nick was happy. And she was happy if Terry was happy. Happy wife, happy life.

The party was on the 18th. Close enough to definitely be Christmasy but far enough from the 25th that people would still come she said. People dressed-up and cars were parked all along the road. There was a church down the road with a big parking lot , he should have hired a valet and had people park there. Done a shuttle up to their house. Made a nice donation to the church. Next year if they did it, next year he'd see what he could arrange.

Everything had been quiet since the retreat. Hasan and Iz had not been on the same continent. And McKenzie had not seen Iz as far as Terry knew. And Terry and Dino had agreed that it was their problem. Iz and Hasan and KcKenzie. And that Global shouldn't get involved. Their private lives. But Terry felt a twinge, that warning you feel sometimes. And if Hasan got hurt or Iz did it could be a problem for Global. Hasan and Iz weren’t like most of the other guys. 

Iz sent two dozen long stemmed red roses the day before the party with a note saying how kind it was for Alice to include him. Yeah, well Terry had included him, where were Terry’s roses? 

~~And Terry knew Iz had flown in just for the party. Iz didn't have a jet but he chartered one whenever he needed one. Alice was glad Iz was coming. She had confronted him scolded him and then worried about him about his behavior at the retreat but it didn't seem to change her fondness for him. And he was fond of Iz too. Terry thought both he and Alice still saw the hungry 12 year old kid from the Palestinian camp. Iz would be furious to know that was in part the way Terry saw him.~~

They invited the neighbors on both sides and across the street. Terry didn't like it. He didn't really know them. Wasn't sure he wanted to know them any better. He had run a check on them, they were okay. An architect, a gallery owner, and a San Francisco fire chief. He might like to get to know the fire chief. Still he would rather not have them. But Alice said it was good manners. So she invited them. 

Dino and Mac were coming. They’d gotten the tenants out of the Bolinas house and moved in but Dino was frustrated. He missed his fancy place in St Augustine. His three big screen TVs, laundry service, his BBQ place in Neptune. He was dragging his feet closing the St. Augustine office. Dino could sleep in a swamp, up a tree and never complain, well he’d complain but he wouldn't really mind, but he liked his luxury at home. And Mac hadn’t completely wrapped up her practice so they were flying back and forth. And Mac told Terry that she was looking for a place to rent so they would be out while they were renovating. They were bringing Mac's daughter Rachel to the party. Terry and Alice hadn’t seen her since the wedding. Henry was at his mother's in London for Christmas Eve but had to fly out late Christmas day. Henry was bidding on the San Francisco to London route. And Terry offered to call the head of British Airlines but Henry asked him not to. Terry hoped he would get it. Maybe just a quiet word to Lord Rakfield. Henry would never have to know. It would be great having Henry on the London to San Francisco route. He’d missed sailing with him. 

Terry thought Jenna had come home with Nick last night but he wasn't sure. Nick had his own studio under the garage.Terry hadn't seen them up and around. He and Alice had discussed it and they left it up to Nick and Jenna. "Where else can they go?" Alice had said. "She has her place in St. Augustine still. Most of her stuff is till there. She is looking for a place here I know. " 

Nick walks in, pours coffee and says, "Terry, one of the things I like about you is you make good coffee."

"Thanks, mate. Is Jenna here?"

'Sleeping. Dino and Mac are here. Staying over in the Bolinas place. Dino complained most of the way Jenna said. He hates the Bolinas house. Mac put in head phones, was listening to some book so Dino used Jenna as the audience for his complaints. Jenna has found a place to rent in Martinez. I haven't seen it yet. It’s partly furnished. We might go out there tonight after the party. I think Paul might share it with her for awhile. He hasn't had time to look. But he is okay with moving here. Is there anything you or my mom need help with for tonight?"

“We're good.”

Nick sees the roses. 

“You?”

“ No, not me mate. Izzat Darwaza. Iz. Your mom is fond of him. He’s coming. Flying in. 

Terry, he and Hasan and McKenzie are going to be here? "

"They have all promised to be on their best behavior."

"I don't know Terry. Promises are one thing. A few drinks and people forget promises. "

Terry smiles, "Just hoping for the best. Your mom is fond of both of them, all of them." 

Alice comes in the kitchen. "Why am I doing this? Why did you let me do this Terry? I think it is a mistake. Is it too late to cancel?"

Terry hugs her. "Pour your mother some coffee Nick while I reassure her this is going to be fine."

Alice disengages from Terry's hug, takes the coffee from Nick, "As long as no one gets stabbed. Terry why did you let me do this? "

"Alice, it will be fine. The house looks great. The food is covered. We have invited people we like. We have plenty of alcohol. And you wanted to have a party here.”

"Why? Why did I want to have a party?"   
  
Nick says, “Mom, Jenna’s here. She’ll help.”

“I’m perfectly capable of giving a Christmas party, Nick, without any help. But if Jenna is here and wants to help of course that’s okay. 


	2. The Night of the Party Dec 18

People arrive for the party in twos and fours. Occasionally someone by themselves. Nick and Terry take turns opening the front door. Welcoming people. Many people have not been to the house before. They come in admiring the levels, the foot bridge, the views. Jenna is in her party planner mode, assists Alice effortlessly. Nearly invisibly. Directing the caterers, keeping an eye on the food, on the tables, on the guests. She even washes glasses a few times til Nick catches her and makes her stop.

People bring ornaments for the tree. Cookies wrapped in cellophane. Wines. People bring Terry gin. A bottle of Drumshanbo. People gather around the tree. Admire the ornaments. Walk out onto the decks, admire the views of San Francisco. Terry has gotten heaters for the decks. Ordered extra chairs. 

Tom and Cherie come bringing wine and presents. “These wait until Christmas to open.” Tom has Roku gin for Terry. Iz comes and Alice shows him the roses which she has put on the buffet across from the tree. The dark red roses are beautiful there. Hasan and McKenzie come together. Jo is with them. Hasan bows slightly to Iz from across the room and Jo walks across to Iz, stands close to him smiling talking looking up at him. She danced with him at the retreat. Terry wonders looking at Jo if there was more than dancing that night. 

Later Dino and Iz and Jo go outside for awhile. Jo stays with Iz as if she had come with him. Mac and Rachel tour the house. Noah does magic tricks. Angela and Pietro go down to the game room, some of the kids from the climbing club follow and begin playing pool there. Terry goes down, promises a pool game later. Noah takes Terry out to see his Citroen. Terry admires it. Noah tries to persuade Terry to go for a ride. Terry asks for a rain check. And they go back inside. Noah salutes Terry but smiles like it’s their private joke. Terry salutes back. Terry goes back downstairs. Moves from group to group, level to level in the house. Goes out on the deck, checks to see if people are warm enough. Adjusts a heater. He enjoys the feeling. Lord of his manor. Likes looking across the room and seeing Alice. Bustling about. When he catches her eye, she smiles conspiratorially at him. He pours drinks, introduces himself to anyone he doesn’t know. Offers a brief pat on the back, a squeeze of an arm. A cheery “good to see you mate,” reminds people to get a plate of food. 

The sounds of the party ebb and flow. It’s a kaleidoscope but one of not just changing colors but also sounds and smells. The caterers have baked chocolate chip cookies and the smell drifts out to the decks mixes with the smell of the night sea air. Inside the smell of evergreen. And cinnamon. Rachel and Noah and Dino talking. Iz and Dino. The fire captain Charlie Rivers joins Dino and Iz. Jay and Paul and Jenna. An athletic blond young woman Terry doesn’t know smiles at him. One of Nick’s climbing pals Terry guesses. He’ll speak to her later. She goes toward the steps down to the game room. Overlapping groups. Group compositions changing. Hasan and Iz manage never to be near each other. Barely even in the same room. McKenzie looks at Iz occasionally. When he catches her looking, he smiles at her almost mockingly and bows slightly from the waist. She smiles then always looks away. Jo pretends not to see. Terry thinks Iz and Jo definitely something more than dancing in Banff.

Alice moves smiling chatting from room to room. Directing the caterers. Picking up a glass, showing someone to a chair. She looks beautiful and happy. Relaxed. Jenna shadows her also picking up an abandoned glass, a plate with partially eaten food left on a table.

A little before 11:00, a man begins following Alice. Watching her. Stays by himself. When Alice leaves a room, he leaves too. Stays back. From room to room, into the kitchen and back out. She doesn’t notice. 

Terry notices. Finds Jenna, "Who is that? That man?"

Jenna, "Don't know. I can ask Nick."

The man finally approaches Alice near the French doors that lead out to the deck. Points outside and takes her arm. She shakes her head and resists. Terry watches from across the room. He can see she is reluctant, doesn't want to go. The man pushes her a little and Alice gives in to him. Terry looks around for Dino. For Tom. Neither of them are in the room. Iz is talking to Jo. Terry catches Iz’s eye and nods toward the door the man pushed Alice thru. Iz nods back and both Terry and Iz move toward the open door where Alice and the man have gone. 

The man is standing with his hands griping Alice's arms. 

Alice is speaking to him angrily, "No, I told you no. My husband is inside. And he will not be happy with you forcing me out here." 

Terry walks up on one side of the man, Iz on the other side. 

" ~~What's all this, mate?~~ Take your hands off my wife." 

The man drops his hands. Looks at Terry then at Iz. 

"Your wife? Peter wasn't even cold in the ground before you came after her."

"Don't know what business it is of yours, mate, but that isn't the way it happened. Who is this Alice?"

"He's an old friend of Peter's. Ward Dellums . I'm not sure what he is doing here. I didn't invite him. I didn't even see him come in. "

Iz puts a hand lightly on the man's arm, says, "Perhaps you would allow me to escort you to your car, sir. It seems that you are not an invited guest this evening.” 

The man reaches for Alice, stops short of touching her again. "Peter wouldn't want you to be with him, Alice. Peter wanted me to take care of you if anything happened to him. You know he said that. It’s what Peter wanted. Us to be together. "

Nick has come out onto the deck. "Mr. Dellums, I know my dad liked you, but my dad would be happy that Mr.Thorne and my mom are together. He saved my dad's life. He would know she’d be safe with him. She’s known Mr. Thorne a long time. He’s really good to her. You don’t need to worry. It’s okay. Really. " 

The man is angry. “Peter wanted me to have her. If anything happened. Me. You stole her away." He moves aggressively toward Terry. Terry stays motionless. Iz moves a little closer to the man.

"This is wrong Alice. I was giving you some time. I didn’t know you were ready to be with someone. Please. Just let me talk to you. You are supposed to be with me.” He is agitated.

”Ward, I’m very happily married to Terry Thorne. I’ve been married for a year. Stop this.”

Terry says, “Alice, you can ask him to leave.”

”Please leave, Ward.”

Iz has the man’s arm and is moving him back inside. 

Terry takes Dellum’s other arm. They move him inside then toward the stairs to the front door. Jay notices and makes eye-contact with Terry and moves quickly over to them.

"Hey Terry, this gentleman leaving?" 

"Yeah."

"How about if Iz and I take him from here."

"Thanks. Seems to have dropped in uninvited tonight."

Terry walks back out to Alice and Nick. They are sill outside on the deck.

"What was all that?”

Alice wraps her arms around herself. "Little misunderstanding. I'll tell you about it later."

Terry asks, "A party crasher? "

"No I think that he came tonight is coincidence. I'll explain later."

Nick says, "He was a friend of my dad's. He lives down in Menlo Park. He and my dad played cards, poker, once a month with a group of guys. He and my dad followed the Giants, had season tickets. He went to school with my dad. He’s a climate guy, ice, spends time in Antarctica, glaciers. He always flirted with my mom. Made jokes that if anything happened to my dad, he'd be her 2nd husband. That my dad never had to worry about my mom, she'd be well taken care of. My dad just laughed. Said he was feeling just fine so nobody but him was going to need to take care of my mom. It wouldn't be necessary. Terry I think Mr. Dellums always had a crush on my mom." 

Alice says, "Terry it's nothing. Just something he and Peter joked around about. I never took it seriously."

Terry, "He looked serious to me. He sounded serious. He sounded like he thought you were going to be his wife if Peter died. And that didn't happen and he's upset about it. "

"It is ridiculous. Peter couldn't promise me to someone." 

"Well, I'm not sure Mr. Dellums sees it that way."

They go in the house. Jay and Iz come back in. "He's gone. Not sure he won't be back though. Said he has to talk to Alice. Said we can't stop him."

Terry, "Of course we can stop him. It's just a question of how forceful we would need to be. "

Alice, "Forget him, this is getting to the part of the party I like the best."

Terry says, "What part is that?"

"Most people have come and gone, the ones who are left are full, relaxed, willing to wait on themselves. Many are pleasantly drunk. There is the smell of pot from somewhere which I am ignoring. ~~There are Christmas lights and Christmas cookies~~. The caterers have packed up, cleaned up and there are some leftovers on the table and in the fridge. We complimented them tipped them and they are gone. Now it is just us, some mellow people and I can relax and can take off my shoes and pretend to be a guest at my own party. And you can now serve me. I would like Bailey's Irish Cream.”

“I am to serve you now huh Lady Alice?”

“Indeed you are Sir.” 

Alice sits down on the couch, takes off her shoes. Leans back and sighs. Chatty comes in the room heads for Alice and gets in her lap. Jay follows Chatty. 

"I can take her." 

"She's fine here. It gives me another excuse to sit down and be waited on. " 

Jenna comes in. Offers Alice a plate of food. Puts it on the table by the couch. "Alice you haven’t eaten anything. Here. Some salmon and beets. And olives. I hid away some of the Brie. The caterers said to tell you they tried to get figs but couldn't find them anywhere. “

Terry brings her Bailey’s and sits down next to her on the couch. Chatty looks back and forth between them says “Bye” and “Thank you” to Alice and then points to Terry and says “You " and crawls from Alice's lap into Terry's. 

Terry puts his arms around her and says to Alice, “Gonna have to serve yourself from here on I guess.” 

Samira walks in. “I’ll take Chatty. She'll probably just fall asleep.”

Terry shakes his head. “She’s okay here.”  
  
Nick comes in. “Mom, if you don’t need anything else we are going to Jenna’s place for tonight. Jenna wants to try it out. And she has to leave tomorrow.” 

“Jenna thank you for all your help. You make it easy.”

“Alice you had it catered. All I did was keep an eye on things.”

Dino walks in with Mac, ”Come on Jenna, you know how good you are at making things run smoothly." 

Nick kisses Alice on the cheek. “Bye Mom, Terry. Bye. Ms. Macintyre, Mr. Dean, Mr. Shah. Mrs. Shah.” Jenna gives them a wave. Jenna and Nick leave.

Dino and Mac settle in chairs near Terry and Alice. Jay repositions two chairs so they are facing the tree and Terry and Alice. He and Samira sit down as well.

Samira looks at Chatty asleep now in Terry’s arms. “Did Jay tell you Chatty is going to have a little sister?”

Jay smiles, “Or brother”

“Congratulations.”

Samira shakes her head, “I'm not really the motherly type. Don’t know how Jay got me into this.”

Terry looks at her, “You arranged a kidnapping with a man who couldn’t resist you. And you couldn't resist his not being able to resist you. ”

“I can resist her. Just don’t want to most of the time.”

Hasan and McKenzie come in. Hasan looks at Samira, “Did I hear you say Chatty is getting a sister? When were you going to tell your brother?”  
  
“I never see my brother. He doesn’t like my dog and he doesn’t approve of my parenting skills. He wastes his free time on his old house on Alameda Island which is going to be underwater soon because of climate change. And when I do see him he’s stupidly getting himself stabbed in the arm because of some idiotic romantic triangle.” Samira looks at McKenzie.

McKenzie looks down. Says nothing. 

Iz walks in the room. He’s followed by Jo. She stands close to him. Iz glances at Hasan then McKenzie. He looks at Samira. “You are going to have another baby. My congratulations.” He says something in Arabic. Jo laughs.   
  
Dino says, “Okay Iz, let’s have the translation.”

Iz looks at Jo, “If you would be so kind.”

Jo says, “ Iz said a ship under sail and a big bellied woman are the handsomest of things.”

Dino laughs, “Is that some Greek sailor saying?”

Jo shrugs, “He said it in Arabic. I don’t know any Greek.”

Iz laughs, “Not an Arabic saying or a Greek one. Benjamin Franklin said it.”

Alice laughs, “Where did you learn that?”

Iz laughs too. “I study American history. I want to know how could such a place as America happen. So I read Ben Franklin, also I read about him. He makes me laugh. He understood people, even the French. I would like to explore Boston sometime. On foot. Walk the Freedom Trail there with the tourists. But I cannot this trip. I must fly back tomorrow, and I must be leaving now. Thank you for including me in your first party. I am deeply honored. ” 

Terry motions to Jay to take Chatty. 

Terry says, “I’ll walk you out, Iz.”

Terry gives Chatty a kiss on the forehead. “Sweet angel”. Jay scoops up Chatty.Chatty opens her eyes sleepily says, “Angel, yes.” Then she closes her eyes again and settles in Jay's arms.

Terry gets up. Iz bends from the waist, takes Alice’s hand, kisses it. He bows to Samira and McKenzie. Nods to Hasan and Jay.

Jo touches his arm, “Would you mind dropping me on your way, I’m a little tired.”

McKenzie frowns, "It is not on his way."

Iz smiles, glances at Mckenzie. “Of course, I’d be delighted to take you wherever you wish.”

”I’m staying at McKenzie’s.”

”That will not be a problem.”

Terry holds his hand up. “Give us a few minutes Jo.”

Terry and Iz go up to Terry’s study.

Iz looks around the study and laughs. “It is too perfect Terry. The sea captain’s lair. Lair this is the right word?”

”Lair, yes.”

“Iz are you all right? Is there anything you need?”

”You could send Hasan on a dangerous mission like David did to Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband.” 

“Forget Bathsheba, mate. Not gonna happen. And you should stay away from Jo. She has a crush on you and she could be McKenzie’s sister. You only want her as a substitute. You are too attractive to women, Iz. All that bowing and hand kissing and flowery language. You are going to get in real trouble one of these days. Where are you staying?”

“Tonight at the Palace Hotel. Tomorrow I fly back to Malta. Will stay til New Years there. That is really my home now. I would be honored if you and Alice would come. Spend a few weeks. It is peaceful there. I am doing some remodeling of the villa but it will be finished soon. It is the place I like best. Above the Mediterranean. I thought I might invite Jo though now for a week. Would you mind?”

“Iz, can’t you find someone else to entertain you? Can’t you stay away from my operatives?”

”Terry, she desires me. She is beautiful. I will be kind to her, pamper her.”

”Iz, damnit you’ll just pretend she’s McKenzie. It isn’t right. And you know it.” 

“If you forbid it, I will not take her." 

“I don’t forbid it Jesus Iz. I’m not your boss and you’re both adults but she is young, Iz. You’ll end up hurting her.”

“Terry was that what you wanted to talk about?”

“No mate. Alice has a Christmas gift for you.”

Terry walks over to a shelf takes down a box wrapped in silver and green foil paper tied with a dark green ribbon.

”She wrapped it herself.”

“Do you know what it is?”

“Yes.”

“Tell me.”

“It’s a book of poems by Rilke. A first edition. She found it in a small antique book shop in Berkeley. She had to get it for you. She said, Iz is like Rilke.”

“How like Rilke?”

“Ask her, mate.”

“Thank you. Thank her also.”

“Of course.”

They walk back down to the living room. Jo has her coat and her bag. McKenzie is still frowning. Jay has Chatty nestled against his shoulder, Hasan is helping Samira get her coat on.

Alice goes over to Iz gives him a hug. Whispers in his ear, "Sonnet 6 especially."

Alice and Terry say good bye to Jay and Samira. Jo and Iz. 

Jay and Samira and Iz and Jo walk out together.

Dino gets Mac’s coat. “We are flying back to St. Augustine tomorrow. Want the luxury of my place there for Christmas. Rachel’s coming with us. Sorry to split Nick and Jenna up at Christmas. That’s the job. “

Mac says, “Nick is welcome to fly back with us to St Augustine though I imagine he wants to be here.” 

Alice says, "I want him here for Christmas. But, I think they are going ice-climbing in a week or so. He is trying to get her to commit to Everest.”

Dino and Mac leave.  
  
Hasan looks for McKenzie’s coat. “We ought to get going too McKenzie.”   
  
“Wait a minute please Hasan. I want to tell you something.”

”Tell me in the car."

”Your sister isn’t the only one who is pregnant”

”Not Jo.”

“Don’t be dense. No, not Jo.”

”You? Are you pregnant McKenzie? You?”

“Yes.”

“And you are telling me this here tonight in front of Alice and Terry? Terry is our boss. Why would you involve him in this? What is wrong with you?”

“I knew you would stay calm with Terry and Alice here.”

“I’m not calm.”

Alice stands up. “We should excuse ourselves, Terry.”

Terry's laughing “You never cease to amaze me, McKenzie.”

McKenzie motions to Alice to sit back down. “Please, don’t leave.”

“McKenzie how did this happen?”

“Well it wasn’t immaculate conception or anything like that.”

Terry smiling, “The usual way then?”

Hasan says, “My child."

“Our child.”

“Goddammnit, McKenzie I’m not ready.”

“I’m ready.”

“How do I know you're not pregnant with Izzat’s child?”

“Please. You know it’s not. I've never had sex with Iz. Can't possibly be his child.” 

Hasan angry. “Well you came pretty close a couple of times.”

Alice starts to get up again. “We really should go to bed, Terry. Let them have privacy to talk about this. You two are welcome to stay in the guest room down stairs. The bed is freshly made. Terry why don’t you lock up now. “

McKenzie’s phone plays the opening notes from The Top Gun Anthem. 

“It’s Jo. That’s her ring tone. Iceman, remember. Hi Jo, are you home?”

“At the Palace Hotel tonight? Don’t worry? Iz? No. Then Malta? I thought you were staying here for Christmas. You came here for Christmas. Your mother will be hurt. Well even if she’s Jewish now Christmas still means something to her. What about me? Jo don’t get involved with Iz. I mean it. Don’t. I know you are an adult. I've never tried to tell you what to do. Fine. Bye.” 

“She is staying with Iz tonight at the Palace Hotel and then going to Malta with him.”

Hasan says, “What do you care what Iz does?”

”I care about Jo. I don’t want her hurt.”  
  
Terry says, “Don’t we have some sort of no fraternization policy we could enforce. ”

Alice shakes her head, "Iz doesn't work for Global, Terry. And McKenzie and Hasan started when she was FBI. And you gave them your blessing.”

Hasan looks at McKenzie. ”You’re pregnant. You got yourself pregnant.”

McKenzie shrugs, “I think you had something to do with it.”  
  
”You know I’m going to med school in the fall.”

"I know”

“A baby and med school.”

“It’ll work out.”

“You don’t want an abortion?”

”Of course not. For one thing I’m Catholic. For another, it wasn’t an accident.”

”You did it on purpose to make me marry you. You think I’ll marry you now.”

”Yes, I thought it would simplify things for you.”

”McKenzie, that is the oldest trick in the book. It’s beneath you.”

“Oldest trick in the book for a reason.”

Alice looks at Hasan, “You are going to marry her now? Under these circumstances?”

Hasan laughs. “What else can I do? I like having sex with her, never wanted to give that up. And she is determined to be a couple. I would have taken her as my second wife if I was allowed two in The States anyway. And she is determined to have my baby. What else can I do?”

McKenzie shrugs. Smiles.

Alice says “All right then. Down on one knee and ask her properly. Do you have a ring? “

Hasan says, “Wasn't expecting to need one tonight. No ring. Not a Muslim tradition.”

“Well, it’s a Catholic one. Terry could you please get one of your guitars. “  
  
“Alice, no, let them handle it.”

“No, they involved us and so I get to do this. Please get one of your guitars. The one with the oldest stings.”

Terry leaves comes back with a guitar, some wire cutters and some copper wire.   
  
“Would you like a song first?” He strums the """.

“No we would not.”

Terry removes a string from the guitar, takes McKenzie’s left hand, wraps the string around her third finger.

“What are you doing Terry?”

“Guitar string ring - learned to do this on YouTube. Made Alice’s ring. Had it dipped in gold before the wedding.”

Alice shows her ring. It is thick gold but the ridges of the guitar string are visible thru the gold.

“A guitar string ring dipped in gold?”

“It is.”

”I wanted a ring. Terry made me one.” 

”Good enough for Sir Terry’s wife, certainly good enough for me.”

Terry coils and wraps the ring while they watch. Finishes the edges with copper wire. 

Terry says as he hands the ring to Hassan, “I want to say this, Hasan, you don’t have to marry her, and this is none of my business or Alice’s, but I think you might as well marry her. When you were hurting, grieving over Amal, you went to her. You go to her, you like her, you trust her. And when you saw her at the retreat with Iz you went a little crazy. You, the calmest guy I have, the steadiest guy who works for me, my most unflappable guy. It may not be what you imagined for yourself, Hasan, but you two are some kind of couple. I don’t think that is going to change. ”

Alice agrees, “You’re good together.”

Hasan holds the ring up. Looks at it.

“On one knee.” Alice points to the floor .

”Not sure she deserves me on one knee.”

“He doesn’t have to, really.” McKenzie shakes her head. 

”McKenzie, you involved us in this and my wife wants him on one knee, so he is damn well going to get down on one knee.”

Alice is laughing. 

Hasan gets down on one knee in front of McKenzie.

”I do not have the slightest idea why you want me, us, so much. Why you choose me over all the men who pursue you. Why you took me back after I chose someone else. Why you believe we are right for each other. But Terry is right. You are the one I go to for comfort. I can’t stand the thought of you with anyone else. I guess we might as well get married.”

Alice frowns at him. “Ask her properly.”

“Mary Margaret McKenzie, will you marry me?” 

McKenzie tears up. Nods. 

Terry nudges her. “Have to say “Yes,” McKenzie.”

McKenzie whispers, “Yes.”

"Congratulations. I think we have a bottle of champagne left. Shall I open it?”

Hasan shakes his head, “Thanks no. She can’t drink now. And I’m driving.”

Hasan looks a little in shock. “We should get going. Do you want to go to your place or my place on the Island?”

”My place tonight.”

They leave.

Terry begins turning off the lights, checking the doors. Alice pours some more Bailey’s.   
  
Terry goes to the bar, pours himself a gin. Sits down next to her. The tree lights are still on.   
  
“Well Ms. Overlord. You give quite a party.”

“Something was missing. When you brought up the guitar for Hasan and McKenzie, I realized, you should have played. Music. There should Have been music. Next year you have to put together a little band.”

“Next year, huh?”

“Are you happy Terry?”

“Happiest I’ve ever been.”


	3. The Day after the Party Dec 19

Early the next morning, Terry is in his study with a cup of coffee. He is on the phone to Dino.

”Everything. Parking tickets to perversions. He seems to think Alice had been promised to him. Was supposed to wait for him. Everything. I want to know everything about the guy. Not planning anything right now. Nick thought he was invited. Let him in. No questions asked.”

Terry looks up. Alice is standing in the doorway wearing an oversized Rabbitoh t shirt. 

"Call you back Dino. In my lair. Yeah that's what Iz called it. My lair. Kind of like it. Gotta go mate. 

He looks at Alice in the t-shirt.

“What is your attachment to that t-shirt? You don’t approve of what it says.”

”It’s comfortable and it reminds me of Istanbul. Istanbul was like a pre-honeymoon, a hurried one, but it was luxurious and exotic. It was a preview of life with you.”

”You are investigating Ward aren’t you. I heard you as I was walking down the hall.”

Yes. I need to know if he’s dangerous to you.

He’s not. 

No? How are you so sure?

He’s never done anything. 

No cornering you at a party? No kiss hello or goodbye that lasted too long. Never handsy. 

Maybe when he was drinking, maybe a few times. It was harmless.

Maybe or it happened, Alice?

It happened a few times.

Alice, my guys are trained to handle someone who is aggressive the way he was, but what if we weren’t there?

He wouldn’t hurt me Terry. He’s one of Peter’s oldest friends.

He may be obsessed with you, Alice.

No. He's not.

The door bell rings.

”I forgot. Tom and Cherie are coming. Are here. You go. I’m not dressed.”

”Why?”

Why what? Why am I not dressed? Why go to the door? Why are they here?

Why are they here?

Cherie offered to come and clean-up from last night. And Tom just likes hanging-out with you. 

Nothing much to clean up. 

Terry goes to the door. Cherie and Tom are there. 

Alice is running a little late. There’s coffee. I hear you are here to help clean-up. Not much to do. Could get the chairs up by the garage. They have to be picked-up. Otherwise caterers did a good job of cleaning up last night. 

Tom and Cherie and Terry go down to the kitchen. Alice comes in. Thanks them for coming. Makes more coffee.

Cherie says, “Great party. Nice group. ~~Like the different ages.”~~  
  
 ~~“Chatty Shah is going to have a brother or a sister.”~~

~~“Chatty doesn’t talk much but I have a feeling she could.”~~

Terry and Tom leave to get the chairs. Terry calls over his shoulder “Then we are going downstairs to play pool."

*

Terry and Tom are playing pool. 

“You’re good at this Terry.”

”Lots of practice. Military guys sit around a lot of the time. Security guys too. Train, sit around. Find things to occupy the time. I played pool.”

Train sit around and then 2 hours of mortal terror?

Sometimes the mortal terror lasts longer.

So you learned to play pool.

Yeah that's about it.

And, you're taking it easy on me.

Nah. 

Tom, you ever meet a friend of Peter’s, Dellums, Ward Dellums. Scientist of some kind. Spent time in Antarctica.

Yeah. Met him. Kind of a weird guy. Was at Alice and Peter’s a few times when we were there for things. Last time I saw him was High School graduation for Nick. Peter and Ward were old friends. College together I think. Maybe high school. Peter and I were friendly but not close. Peter mentioned me a few times. He works for USGS, United States Geological Service, travels. He and Peter had season tickets to the Giants. When Dellums was away, few times, Peter offered me Dellums' ticket to a game.

Peter ever say anything about Dellums and Alice?

Like what?

Like anything?

Like Peter worried about him and Alice, like that? 

Like anything?

Terry, I’ve never seen a woman more in love with anybody than Alice is with you. ~~I picked-up stuff here and there about you two.~~ You don’t need to worry about her man.

Worried about her safety, mate, not her fidelity. Tom did you see him here last night? Dellums did you see him here?

No. Wait, maybe. Yeah I did. I saw him just for a minute talking to Nick on the stairs. By the front door. Terry what’s going on?  
  
Ward Dellums wasn’t invited to the party last night. He came without an invitation, cornered Alice. Forced her outside, wanted to talk to her. I saw him force her outside. Went after them. When I got out there, he had hold of her arms. Manhandled her a little bit. Seems he thought Peter had promised Alice to him. He took exception to her marrying me. Alice thinks it’s nothing. She was fine with my ejecting him from the party. Didn’t seem to give it another thought. Two of my guys escorted him to his car. He told them he’d be back to talk to her and we couldn’t stop him.

Terry you can check on him can’t you. I mean you and Dino have sources.   
  
Yeah, I’m checking on him.

I’ll ask Cherie. If Alice was worried about him, she might have said something to Cherie.

Nick comes down the stairs. 

Hey Terry. Hey Mr. Wyatt.   
  
Nick, you can call me Tom.

Yeah, thanks. I’m working it. You playing.

Yeah, you want a game?

Sure. Terry's pretty good.

Terry's practically Minnesota Fats.

You haven't lost any real money yet, Tom, relax. Nick, did you let Ward Dellums in last night?

Yeah, I didn’t remember we invited him. When you and me and my mom did the invitations. I guess my mom added him later. I told you last night he was a friend of my dad’s. I was surprised. I didn’t think my mom liked him very much.   
  
What made you think your mom didn’t like him?

Just little things. My dad would say Mr. Dellums was coming over and she would groan. After my dad died, he came a few times. Even brought flowers once. Took us out for dinner. I think he also took my mom out a couple of times. My mom said she went cause she thought he was lonely for my dad. Last time we saw him he told us he was going to be wintering over in Antarctica. He was going there for a whole year. He said he’d see my mom well us when he got back.

When he came last night, at the door, what did he say?

He said hi, asked how I was doing. Then he asked where my mom was. I said she was probably in the kitchen. He asked me where the kitchen was and I told him. That was it. Something wrong?

"Nick, Mr. Dellum's wasn't invited to the party last night. 

He crashed it? 

Or he stopped by unannounced and saw an opportunity to come in as a party guest and he took it. 

He makes my mom uncomfortable. 

Can you tell me anything about him, Nick.

He wouldn't hurt her. That's the way you think isn't it, Terry? You are worried he's like some psycho who would hurt her. Terry my dad he was a down-to-earth guy. He wouldn't be friends with anyone who would hurt my mom.

Just tell me about him.

He's a scientist. He and my dad went to University of Colorado together undergraduate. That's where my dad met my mom too. I guess they all knew each other there. My dad stayed at University of Colorado did a masters in engineering. My mom stayed there too. Mr. Dellums went to MIT I think. I guess it is really Dr. Dellums. He has a Ph.D in climate science or something like that. ~~Maybe Cal Tech, he's like some big climate guy.~~ He's wintered over in Antarctica a couple of times. He's at USGS in Menlo Park. I think he taught at Cal Tech for awhile. 

Is he married, does he have kids? He ever bring anybody with him to your mom and dads.

Don't know if has been married. Don't remember him ever coming with anyone. Don't think he had any kids. He'd come by pick up my dad. After a Giants game sometimes he'd stay for dinner. He's one of those super smart people who doesn't like to make ordinary conversation. Doesn't really talk to kids. He liked my dad a lot though. And my mom. 

Anything else you can think of about him?

Not really.

Nick, last night he kind of roughed-up your mother. 

What?

He didn't hit her or anything but he shoved her around a little and grabbed her arms and held on to her in a way she didn't like. In a way I didn't like. 

He did? Before I came out?

Yeah. I saw him. I watched him. At first he was following her. Following your mom. It caught my attention. Then he grabbed her arm and pushed her out the door, outside on to the deck. I went after him then. Iz went with me. Dellums had her by the arms, wouldn't let go of her. He said something about your dad saying that she was supposed to marry him if anything happened to him. 

Marry Mr. Dellums? She would never do that. Even if you weren't in the picture Terry. I mean which you are. You very much are. My mom wants to be with you Terry. She loves you. You love her. Everybody sees it. He and my dad did joke around a little, yeah I heard him once say he could be her second husband. But my dad just laughed. And you know my mom's pretty. Even my friends would say stuff, like oh your mom's hot. Terry, you know how guys are. 

Yeah, I know how guys are. 

Nick, if you see Ward Dellums around here anywhere, you call me. Anytime day or night. 

Yeah okay. Probably nothing. 

Yeah. I'm a better safe than sorry guy. Especially with people I love.

Yeah, okay. 

Nick I'm going to install some more surveillance here. 

You think we need it?

Yeah, I think we need it. Sometimes I have to go away suddenly. And sometimes you are away. I want more security here. 

Yeah okay sure Terry. Yeah. 


	4. Sonnet 6 for Izzat from Alice

Sonnet 6

Is he native to this realm? No,

his wide nature grew out of both worlds.

They more adeptly bend the willow's branches

who have experience of the willow's roots.

When you go to bed, don't leave bread or milk

on the table: it attracts the dead—

But may he, this quiet conjurer, may he

beneath the mildness of the eyelid

mix their bright traces into every seen thing;

and may the magic of earthsmoke and rue

be as real for him as the clearest connection.

Nothing can mar for him the authentic image;

whether he wanders through houses or graves,

let him praise signet ring, gold necklace, jar.

[Rainer Maria Rilke](https://poets.org/poet/rainer-maria-rilke) 1875-1926


	5. The Day After the Day after the Party Dec 20

“Hey Dino, I got a report from our cyberguys.” Terry is on the phone in his study.

"Nothing. He pays his taxes. Giants games til Peter died. Poker til Peter died. Stamps. Not a real hobby. Okay, fine it's a hobby. Cameras, photography, maybe related to geology, climate stuff. He manhandled Alice. Says Peter promised her to him. No he hasn't been back. No he hasn't stalked her. She says it's no big deal. Because she isn't necessarily a good judge. Goddamnit Dino, how would you feel if some guy pushed Mac around. Well, I don't want to kill him for crashing a party and pushing her out onto the deck. Okay I'll ask her. Where are you? Til the first of the year? Okay. No we're staying here. Nick and I are going sailing if the weather's good. Yeah let 'em take the plane. Nick likes having Jenna around. Alice likes her too. She thinks Jenna's too old for him. I remind her of the the Macrons. What is she 25 years older than Macron. Not his babysitter, his teacher. Yeah, Alice wants something traditional for him. But she likes Jenna. Okay Dino. I thought there would be something. I can ask Will Abernathy. I asked him to take Mac back, he said sure. But I had to get her to say yes. No chance of that. She likes tormenting us. She plan to take over Global. No we don't need the plane for anything. Thanks for coming to the party Dino. Yeah. Sometimes I think about it, but I'm with her now. Just want to enjoy it. Honey Badger called me. Grace is back in the hospital. Yeah it's tough on both of them. We can meet by phone. Okay. Later."

Terry goes looking for Alice. Doesn't find her. Finds Nick down in the game room shooting pool. 

How'd you get so good Terry?

Practice. Just practice mate. You seen your mom? 

Yea she and Hasan walked down to the dock. 

I didn't know Hasan was here. 

He didn't ring the bell or anything. He drove up at the same time I came back from a run. We walked in together. He said he needed to talk to my mom. They talked for a little while in the kitchen then they went down the hill. Said they wanted to sit on the dock. 

Yeah. Okay thanks I think I'll join them. 

You know what Mom's making for dinner? 

No do you? 

I looked in the oven - smells pretty good. Might be lasagna.

*

Terry walks out on to the dock. Alice and Hassan are sitting at the end with their feet hanging over.

"Hey. Thought I told you to stay away from my wife. "

"Thought she told me you didn't make all the rules."

Alice pats the dock next to her. "Hasan has come for some motherly advice."

Terry sits down next to Alice, kisses her. "Little late for advice, isn't it. He asked the girl to marry him, in our presence and she's having his baby. Where is there room for advice."

"A million places. When should they get married, what kind of ceremony, how does he tell people, his parents, his sister, Jay. What to name the baby.”

"Iz. How about if I tell Iz?"

Hasan groans. "Come on Terry."

"And Jo, let's tell Jo."

"Terry if you came down here to disrupt go back up the hill. This is a serious conversation. "

"I need to have a serious conversation with you Alice. Good Hasan is here." 

"Hasan at the party the other night, a man came uninvited and manhandled Alice."

"I wasn't manhandled Terry."

Hasan looks alarmed. "What are you talking about Terry?"

"He forced her outside, grabbed her by the arms, demanded to talk to her. Said her husband, not me, the one before me, had..

Alice interrupts, "Terry stop it. Hasan doesn't need to hear this. It's nothing. Really."

"I want to hear this, Alice. Terry is not an alarmist. " 

" Is he a danger, Terry? "

"Maybe. He said Peter wanted Alice to marry him if anything happened. Was aggressive about it." 

Terry looks at Alice.

"Stop looking at me like that. I hate that stern look."

"Alice tell us about him. When did you meet him?"

"I went out with him in college a couple of times. I met Peter through him. Peter was a friend of his. Then Peter asked me out and I started going out with Peter.

"What happened after that?

"Nothing happened after that. Peter and I went out. We all graduated. Ward went to MIT. Peter stayed at University of Colorado, did a masters. Asked me to marry him. Peter and I got married. We went to Thailand for Peter to work on a dam.

"Did Dellums ever write to you, call you? 

"No he stayed in contact with Peter. He would come to see Peter. In Colorado Springs. Later, he visited us in India, Thailand. Not Egypt but once in Africa. He traveled. The climate thing. "

"Never anything that made you uncomfortable?"

" He and Peter talked geology. Climate. He never paid that much attention to me or Nick. "

"He was paying attention the other night."

"He smelled like he’d been drinking Terry and I’m sure he misses Peter. He's never had many friends. Peter helped, liked to talk to him. Got him in the poker group. The season tickets to the Giants were Peter’s idea. Peter understood him. "

Terry "Why'd you go out with him?" 

"I don't know. He asked me I guess. Terry it was a long time ago. I just did. He was in one of my classes, smart, I was in a study group with him. And we went out a couple of times." 

Hasan looks at Terry. "Did you find out something about him?"

"No, nothing."

“Ph.D. from MIT. No parking tickets, no stalking charges, no legal complaints. Always pays his taxes. Pays his visa off every month. Collects stamps for god’s sake. Owns some expensive cameras. Known for good documentation of his findings on climate change. Our guys have been through their data bases. He may have committed crimes or had complaints in Antarctica but they don't have anything from here.”

"Terry this is unnecessary really. He's lonely. He misses Peter. They both liked to talk geology. Probably wants me as a substitute for Peter. Which he will learn quickly enough I can't be because I don't know shale from limestone."

"Alice he said you were supposed to marry him."

"Terry, he is a strange guy. He's never been married. He can't seem to find anyone. From what Peter said about him, the girls who like him don't interest him and the girls that interest him aren't attracted to him."

Hasan asks, "Is he some incel you think?"

"He's just a scientist."

"If he thought about marrying me, it was probably like a practical thing. He could have a wife he'd be comfortable with cause he's known me all these years. And maybe he really thought Peter wanted that." 

"Wouldn't he have some interest in knowing what you wanted?"

"He probably thinks I'd be happy to get him. "

"You were going out with him before you went out with Peter. Maybe picking Peter over him was more of a problem than he let on."

"Terry you will see this is nothing."

"Alice, I want you to tell me. Has he ever been rough with you like that before?"

"No." 

"Has he ever been inappropriate?"

"He's sometimes inappropriate socially."

"Alice just answer me."

"I told you before, maybe a kiss too long. On the lips instead of the cheek. Maybe a hand once in awhile slipping from my waist or shoulder. More geeky than icky.”

"I'm not convinced."

"Alice I'm not convinced either. "

"Fine neither of you is convinced. Let's get back to Hasan."

“Okay”

“So Hasan the wedding should be soon. How far along is she?”

“8 weeks.”

“Baby due in July. I guess the wedding is up to her.” 

”Are you really sure, Hasan?”

”No. Sure enough I guess. I'm 37. She's 33. Biological clock.” 

“I think I'll tell my parents after. They didn't go to my sister's wedding. Now I guess they won't be at mine.”

“You could give them the choice.”

“McKenzie is worried you are mad at her.” 

“We're not.” 

“Hasan, I have an operation to run. What about work?”

“Terry, I was going part time anyway next fall. I’ll start med school then. We can’t make it on what I've saved with a baby, but McKenzie can still work. You can use her. Pregnancy is a great disguise. And after the baby, I can be a stay home dad and a student. We can take out loans. Jay and my sister offered me money for school.”

“Have you told Jay and your sister?”

“Tomorrow. Dinner there. My sister probably knows. They'll be okay with it. May not like the way she did it. But my sister always supported my being with McKenzie. She thought Amal was a mistake for me. She liked Amal. Really liked her. She just thought I'd be better with McKenzie. Maybe she was right. “

“Hasan, I want to tell Iz. Both Alice and I want to tell him.” 

“What the fuck is his deal man? What is up with his fascination with her. Man you should have seen him that day in Istanbul. When he first saw her. It was like music was playing. Like the light from heaven was shining down on her. He couldn't take his eyes off her.”

“You never felt that way about her?”

“No.”

“That is why she is so attracted to you.”

“Yeah that's what Jay says.”

“It's true. Men fall all over themselves for her attention. She doesn’t trust it. You seem immune. You are not mesmerized by her beauty. It makes her trust you.”

~~She reminds me of Mac. Mac is similar.~~

“Well I'm going to marry her and I'm gonna be a dad. “

”And you are going to be a doctor.” 

“Married to her, I'll probably end up a psychiatrist.” 

“Okay if I give Iz a call, Hasan.”

“Yeah sure Terry. Simpler that way.” 

“So I interrupted you and my wife. You want to finish up. I can go back up the hill.”

”We're done. I need to make a salad. Okay Hasan?”

“Mrs. Overlord what would I do without you?”

“You'd get along just fine.”

“Terry helps Alice up. Hasan stands also.” 

“Go on up Alice, I want to talk to Hasan a few minutes. Global stuff.”

”Okay.”

Alice goes up the hill.

“Terry and Hasan stand on the dock.”

"Hasan, I can't find anything on this guy, Dellums. But I saw him with her. She's wrong. He could be a danger to her. “

Hasan says, "You want me to visit him, suggest he stay away from her." 

"I want you to have a look around his place. Just see what’s in there. He lives down in Menlo Park. Owns a house there. No other properties we can find titled to him. Looking into his family now. See if he has pictures of her or even other women in there. Anything strange. Weapons. Don’t make contact. Iz and Jay escorted him to his car. He said he was going to come back. I think he’ll try. Am going to surveil him next. "

"You gonna put surveillance on your house. Protect Mrs. Overlord."

“ I’m here. Nick’s here. Jenna’s going to be here a few days. Probably okay. I’m looking at some additional stuff around the property. Have our cyberguys on it. But if I have to leave..”

“I’ll take care of it. Of her. I’ll come and stay over if needed if you have to go. You know I like your wife a lot. Couldn’t bear it if anyone hurt her. McKenzie likes her too. Respects her. Iz likes her too. Not sure why we all like her so much. “

“Know what you mean. I never could quite figure it out myself.” 

“Stay for dinner. Nick says it's lasagna. She’ll want you to stay.”

“Thanks. Better get back to McKenzie. Taking her to my place on the Island tonight. She’s going to move in there. McKenzie pulled this off, her coup, now she is feeling insecure. Need to reassure her. It’s okay. Terry, go ahead and tell Iz. I feel sorry for him in a way. It's no fun to love someone you can't have. Its no fun at all.” 

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

”They go up the hill. Alice or Nick have turned on the lights on the path.”

“Terry you still have lights out on this path. They were out in June when we were here. Want me to come over and fix them?”

“I'll get it done. It's on the list.”


	6. A further day after the day after the party Dec 21

Terry is back in his study. His lair. Likes “lair.” Has started thinking of it that way. My lair. Lair. Doesn’t share it with Alice or Nick. The Lair.

He has to call Iz. Has to tell him. Maybe McKenzie knows more than they do. Might make Iz give-up. Wouldn’t have made Terry give-up. That was different. Alice wanted him. He knew she wanted him. McKenzie wants Hasan. Only guy she really trusts. Cause he’s not wowed by her.

Terry dials Iz.

“Hey Iz. Jo still there?”

“Every day she swims in the pool. She wears nothing. She feels bold, naughty. She lies in the loggia. A masseuse comes for her relaxation. My servants bring her fresh fruit and wine. I give her pleasure. She is very contented. She says this. I am languid. I have looked up this word. My dictionary say it means tired. She says this like it is a good state.”

“Also a good word. Means relaxed. Maybe more than relaxed. Content. Sexually content. Feeling pleasure in a relaxed way.”

“Iz, I have something to tell you. About McKenzie.”

“No. No Terry. She is not hurt, not injured, please?”

“No. She’s pregnant and she and Hasan are getting married.”

“She did this on purpose.”

“She admits she planned it.”

”I want her so much Terry. I would not mind the baby.”

”I know Hasan, I understand, I do. She knows how you feel. She wants Hasan.”

“But he doesn’t love her, adore her as I do.”

“Iz lots of guys adore her.”

”Not as I do.”

“Iz she’s used to it. Being adored. Not the way you adore her maybe but like that. That is the attraction to Hasan. He doesn’t adore her. But he loves her. They are close. Something pretty deep between them. If he hadn’t met Amal they would have married. She doesn’t really like being adored. Had too much of it. Doesn’t need it.”

“Does Jo know?”

“Don’t think so. They are telling his sister and Jay tonight.”

“Terry this is painful for me. I thought I might charm her. Eventually. Make her accept me as the one for her.”

”Come on Iz. You knew she was just playing around with you, making him jealous.”

“I hoped for more. That she could see what I could give her. The life I could offer.”

“Not gonna happen mate. Not who she is. She’s not the type to be pampered. She’s never spent a languid day in her life.”

”No?”

“No.”

“Maybe I will marry the cousin. I could be close to her then. Be part of the family. A kind uncle to the baby.”

”Not fair to the cousin Iz. Not fair to Hasan.”

“No. Terry, I am glad you called. I am worried about something. The man on the deck with Alice, has he come back?”

“Haven’t seen him. Been looking into him. Don’t find anything. I worry about leaving her alone if I have to be some place.”

”I will come if you wish if you have to leave.”

”Thanks Iz. Might take you up on that. For now Nick and I here. Going to have his house searched. Something not right with him.”

“She would be safe here. You could send her here while you look into this fellow. Or bring her here, you could make her languid here.”

”I could huh? A languid Alice, eh mate.”

“Terry, I would like to talk to her to Alice later. About McKenzie, the baby.”

“Don’t need my permission mate. She considers you a friend. She’ll tell you the same thing about Hasan and McKenzie.”

“Thank you for telling me. I must go, Jo has come in to my office. I must see to her now.”

“Bye mate.”

“Bye Terry."


	7. December 24

Dino calls Christmas Eve.

“Yeah Dino. Wishing me Merry Christmas, mate? Congratulating me on my new life?”

“Nope. Calling to tell you to pack.”

“For where. Doesn’t matter. Not leaving tonight.”

“Well somebody better leave soon. Our Black Sea fishermen are fucking arrested.”

“How did that happen? Dino we aren’t their only customers. I don’t think they know enough to give us up in any way that would hurt us.”

“They want our help. Youngest brother wasn’t on the boat. Stayed home for some reason. He called the number.”

“Who’s got them?”  
  
“Think it is the fucking Chechens. Gotta be them.”   
  
“Another Rainbow thing?”

“Maybe. They just did something for them but not arranged by us. The guys we got out a year ago, tried to manage an exit, economizing, leave out the middle men. Us. Used our routes, our contacts.”

“Our guy in xx said no to them but gave them some names for safe houses. Did a pretty good job. Delivery completed.”

“So if it’s such a good job why are they arrested?”  
  
“Not sure of anything, somebody has to go.”

“You go. “  
  
“No. We both go.”

“Let’s send Hasan or Jay.”

“Or Gale.”

“Send Jay mate.” 

“He doesn’t speak the language. “

“Send Hasan. He speaks everything.”

”McKenzie won’t like it. Or she’ll want to go too.”

”I know. Dino, McKenzie is pregnant.”

”God, who is the father, Hassan or Iz.”

“She says Hasan.”

”This is all your fault Terry. You could have kept it simple and just married a cheerleader like everybody else does. This soap opera is cause you married Alice.”

“How is this in any way my fault? Or Alice’s?”

“Alice. Alice changed things.”

”Alice brought in Mac. Mac changed things for me.”

”Briggs brought in Mac.”

”Terry, we we getting old and soft and I want to do less. I don’t want to go break some guys out of a Chechen jail. I thought McKenzie would take over Global. Now she’s knocked-up.”

“Dino I’ll go day after tomorrow, get the cyberboys on it.”

”Tell Jay and Hasan go now.”

”You tell them. You’re closer.”

“Dino I’m gonna tell them on the phone. It doesn’t matter who is closer.”

“You’re so close you ought to tell them in person.”

“Let the Chechens sit in jail. My Turkish is good. My Russian and Chechen not too bad. I’ll fly out on the 26. You go too. We better handle it. Tilki will help us. You want to pick me up in New York. Then fly to Turkey.”

“No Paul is in the air coming to you now. Let him take the plane. He and Jena wanted to be in California for Christmas.”

“Nick know?”

“Think it’s a surprise.”

“Okay.”

“Paul and Jenna on the 26. We’ll pick you up.”

”I’ll fly up to New York. Be on your way then.”

”Hasan and McKenzie huh?”  
  
“Looks like it.”

.


	8. Christmas Eve Day Dec 24

They are in the kitchen. Terry sitting at the table.  
Alice is at the kitchen counter. She has sliced potato, cheese, bread crumbs out in bowls. Alice is making augratin potatoes for Christmas dinner.

“Alice I’m going to have to go away the day after tomorrow.  
I haven’t finished installing the security.”

“Ward Dellums is not a threat to me Terry.”

“Alice who do you think is a better judge of that, you or me.”

“I hate that condescending tone. I have known him since college. You checked on him. He’s not a threat.”

”Think he might be Alice.”

“What is he going to do? Come over, demand I divorce you and go away with him to Antarctica.”

“Yeah, could be something like that.”

“I’ll talk to him.”  
  
“No. Alice you don’t know anything about stalkers.”

“He’s not a stalker.”

“You don’t talk to stalkers. You can’t reason with them. They live in a delusional world. He could hurt you. By the way Jenna is coming for Christmas.”

”Does Nick know?”

”Supposed to be a surprise.”

Mac and Dino don’t need the plane, so Dino let Paul and Jenna have it. Paul wanted to see his friends at Travis. So Paul and Jenna are flying in.”

”Jenna wanted to be with Nick.”

“No it’s good. It was going to be just the three of us for Christmas dinner. Nice to have Jenna too.”

“Then Alice, I’ll have to leave the next day. I have to go to Turkey. And Jenna has to go to Turkey with us.”

“She was going ice climbing with Nick.”

“She won’t be going climbing in Not in the next few days. We need her.”

Nick isn’t going to be happy.”

“No. But this is Jenna’s job.”

“Terry what if they want to get married.”

”She won’t marry Nick. She likes him. Enjoys him.”

”Nick is crazy about her. What other girl is going to match up to her? Nobody will ever be able to. He’s been involved with her for a year.”

”She’ll let him go when the time is right.”

”Alice I need to talk about Turkey.”

“Can’t you send some of your guys?”

“We talked about that, but Dino and I should go.”

”Where?”

“Turkey. We are talking about Turkey. My fishermen have been arrested. I need to see if we can free them.”

“Nick and Noah come in.”

Noah says, “Captain Thorne, I drove the Citroen, want to drive it?”

“Talking to my wife about something but would like to later. When are you leaving Noah?”

“Probably stay a couple of hours. Going to play pool with Nick for awhile. Or a new game I brought.”

“I’ll come down when Alice and I are finished.”

Noah and Nick go down the stairs to the game room.

“So, can’t you send Hasan or Jay. They are Muslim.They don't celebrate Christmas.”

“I may need to, but it’s the kind of thing Dino and I have to manage.”

“Why do you have to go? What about just Dino?”   
  
”We’ve had this conversation before. In London. About my going to Beirut.”  
  
“And I said you have to be patient with me.”

Alice starts crying. “I didn’t know it would be like this.”

”Like what?”

”Your being in danger. Your having to leave.”

Terry gets up, walks around the counter, pushes her hair back, puts his arms around her, kisses her. “I have to go, what can I do to make it better for you?”

”You can’t make it better unless you quit.”

”Alice, I can’t quit. It’s my outfit. Lot of people’s jobs depend on me. And Dino.”

Alice sniffling.”I know. But you got stabbed. Last year.”

”Not going to get stabbed again.”

“You could have died. We had been together a month and you almost died.”

”Didn’t almost die. Little shoulder cut.”

”Surgery, transfusions, hospital, couldn’t use your arm for a month.”

”Alice, did I somehow misrepresent what I do? Give you a false impression of what it would be like to be married to me? Did you imagine I would close the shop and stay home with you?”

“You didn’t misrepresent what you do. I didn’t think you’d just stay home, Terry, I didn’t think about it. I just wanted to be with you. I wanted to pick up where we left off. I didn’t really think about the rest. The day to day.” 

“How did your first wife Henry’s mom handle it?”

“She didn’t. She left me. Took my son and left me. I don’t want you to do that. I can’t stand the thought of your doing that. Do you want me to take you to Istanbul, to the Four Seasons. You’d be closer to me. What can I do to make it better for you.”

“That’s a start. Asking me. Not just telling me. Offering to let me come to Istanbul. That would make Dino crazy by the way. “

“What do you need Alice?”

“I don’t know. Asking me makes it better.”

“Finish that whatever it is you are doing.”

“Potatoes augratin. I’m almost finished.”

“I want to go upstairs with you for a little while.”

“Nick and Noah are here.”

“We have a lock on our door. We have a whole separate part of the house.”

“Finish up. Come on.”

“Being close to you makes it better.”

”I’ll remember that.”


	9. The Day after Christmas Dec 26

Paul is flying the plane. Jenna is in the cockpit with him. Dino and Terry are in the back. Midplane. Dino is across from Terry, seat back, eyes closed. Dosing.  
  
Terry is on the phone trying to find out where the fisherman have been taken. He can’t locate them. Who’s got them? No one acknowledges having them. Terry is beginning to think it is not law enforcement who has them but maybe rival smugglers. That could be more dangerous but may be more opportunity there to buy back their freedom.

“Hassan calls. Terry I’m going to spend some time down in Menlo Park today. Did you put anyone on your house?”

“Not on the house, but I asked Mike Gale to put a team on him around the clock til I get back. Guys are just sitting around. Good exercise and I’ll feel better. Call Gale, it’ll make it easier if you coordinate with them.”

“Yeah okay.”

“How long you going to be in Turkey man?”

“At least a few days.”

“She invited McKenzie over for lunch tomorrow. “  
  
“Yeah she told me she was going to.” 

“Perfect Global partner wife man. Style. She was great when Stephen died. Good with Bina. The scholarship for the twins. Good the other night with me and McKenzie.”

“Yeah. Wanted to marry her almost from day I met her. Some women you know you think about the bedroom, but her I thought I’d like to get my ring on her finger. Wanted her for my wife. She was everything I didn’t have at the time.”

“When I met McKenzie, I thought bedroom, then I thought too much trouble, too much competition for that one, better stay away.”

“She couldn’t resist your staying away. Still can’t.” 

”Seems so. I’ll let you know what I find in the house. You want pictures?”

“If there is anything related to Alice or any weapons. Anything unusual yeah. Otherwise no. Wait. Changed my mind. Yeah I do want pictures. I want to see how the guy lives. Everything. Medicine cabinet to under the sink.”

“Okay.”

Paul comes out of the cabin.

Dino opens his eyes. “Automatic pilot or Jenna flying this thing.”

“Jenna. She licensed. Says we promised her and we never let her fly. She flew most of the way from St. Augustine to San Francisco. She’s like you Dino. Insecure about landing. I’ll go back up and land it. “  
  
“I’m not insecure about landing. You just know most of the airports better than I do.”

”Yeah. That’s what I meant. I know the airport better so I’ll land it.”

”Thought that’s what you meant.”

“How you feeling about moving to California?”  
  
“Yeah no I’m glad. Kind of nice change of scene. Know guys at Travis. Good for me, better. Jenna found a house in Martinez. Has a back yard. Nice little town.   
Gonna move in with her. Later I might look for some place by Travis. Yeah it’s good for me. What’s Gemma gonna do?”  
  
“Hasn't decided yet.”

“Can you and Terry function without her if she decides no California?”

“Nope.”

Terry hangs up and Paul turns to him.  
  
“Terry, like to ask you a question about an employee.”

“Answer if I can.”

“Uh Jo you know the girl uh w w woman who went to Beirut with you.”

“Yeah.”

“Is she with someone?”

“Check her Facebook page mate.”

“Come on Terry.”

“As far as I know she’s not married.”

“What’s her background?”

“She was in the Israeli Defense Forces, then came back and got a degree in Anthropology at Berkeley. Dad’s Irish lives in Dublin, mom's American Irish. Mom’s second husband is a Jew and Jo’s mom converted to Judaism. How Jo ended up in IDF. Jewish step-father. Jo never converted herself. Probably the only Catholic girl in the IDF. Was part of Olympic swim team for awhile. Is McKenzie’s first cousin. Spent some time recently with a freelancer, a guy who works with me and Dino. Guy from Malta. He’s older. “

”Terry, you think she’d go out with m m m me?”

“Ask her. Can you take a no?”

“Yeah. I can take a no. Don’t get too many. “  
  
“Wouldn’t think you would, mate.”

“Is it all right for me to ask her, like against company policy or anything.” 

“It’s all right with me and I make the policy. Me and Dino. Well Dino might mind. Dino has a little crush on her. Likes to flirt with her.”

“Alright with you Dino?”

Dino is sitting back with closed eyes again. Doesn’t open them. 

“She flirts with me. Can’t resist me. But not interested. Marrying Mac in April. Only woman for me. You have my blessing.”

“Thanks. Will ask her. Worst she can say is no.”

Paul goes back to the cabin.

“Jo still with Iz?”

“At his place on Malta. Said she was languid.”

”Hard to compete with languid.”

“But a young dashing pilot vs a rich handsome assassin?”

”Yeah, would be a tough choice for me.”

”Maybe Paul can make her languid too.”

”You make Alice languid?”

”Might have a few times.”


	10. Three Days after Christmas Dec 27

Terry and Dino, Paul and Jenna are at the Istanbul House. Sitting in the kitchen.

“We could split our business between the two.”

”We don’t fuckin’ have that much business. Not going to be persuasive.”

”This is just business. We are satisfied with the current arrangement.”

”We weren’t though, they wanted triple the price second trip a year ago.”

“But we only paid them double.”

“They asked us for help”

”Well the younger brother did.”  
  
“Let’s met with the captors see what they want.”  
  
Terry’s phone buzzes,  
  
“Yeah Hasan. You okay on speaker?”  
  
” Up to you, man.”

”Yeah sure Terry. Who’s there?”  
  
“Dino. Jenna, Paul.”

”They know?”  
  
”Dino knows. Not sure about Jenna and Paul. They can just listen.”

“Okay. I’m done with the house. And there’s a problem Terry. He’s got a locked closet full of pictures of Alice. Three sides floor to ceiling collage. Pictures go back to college days. Some before that even. When she was eight or ten. School pictures. He has been watching her. Watching her a long time. Photos from different times. Pretty sure some are from Thailand, Africa. Looks like some in Africa when she’s pregnant. Also some nudes of women interspersed with the pictures of Alice. Not Alice, but similar look. Blonde hair. Fair skin. Her husband can’t have known about this closet. Ward Dellums, man, he’s been doing this a long time. I’m sending them now.”

Terry looks at them, enlarges them on his phone.

“There is something else Terry. The guy has ether. Bottles of it. He is a climate guy, but the guy’s essentially a geologist. No reason I can think of for him to have ether.”

“There is something else. He made a trip to a place in Bear Valley. We’ll find out whose it is. Not titled in his name. You said you checked. So maybe a friends. I’ll go up tomorrow have a look inside. He spent the day and night up there. Gave me plenty of time in his place. But what was he doing up there?”

“Hasan say it. He may be planning to use the ether on Alice.”

“It happens Terry.”

“Terry, have our cyber-guys look at disappearances of women in places where he was especially women who looked like Alice.”

“Probably many. Doesn’t mean anything.”

“Up to you man, but I got a feeling. Do the numbers. Simple correlation. Where he goes, do women disappear?”

“Women disappear mate, won’t show a pattern. Never been a suspect at all.”

”Look at the pictures of her Terry.”

“You want me to show her the pictures.”

”If she wont take it seriously show her the pictures. When are you coming back?”

“Not sure. Need to talk to Dino. Is Nick there at home?”

“He left to go climbing this morning.”

“You and McKenzie willing to go stay there a few days.”

“Sure. But you have to tell her.”

“Yeah. I need to call Mike Gale.”

“Don’t like this Hasan.”

“I don’t like it either.”

“Where is he now?”

“Last I heard he’s back at his house.”

”Okay. I’m going to keep him surveilled 24.”

“Terry, what do you want us to do if he takes Alice.”

“Don’t let him take her. Don’t let him take Alice. I don’t want you to let him get that far. But if he does take her, stop him.”

“Any means?”

”Yeah. Do what’s necessary.”

”The ether worries me.”

“Yeah it worries me too.”


	11. Four Days After Christmas Dec 29

Terry’s in a study in the Istanbul house. His phone is on the desk. He’s on speaker with Alice.

“McKenzie and Hasan need to stay there. I want them there. I don't want you by yourself. ” 

“I’m having lunch with McKenzie. But her and Hasan staying here. I don’t think it’s necessary. Ward’s never done anything really. And, Terry, I’d rather have Tom and Cherie. They are my age. I feel like Hasan and McKenzie are guests.”

”Tom and Cherie would be guests too. But okay, I can call Tom. But Hasan is the best operative I’ve got. He’ll keep you safe. “  
  
“I don’t think I’m in danger.”

“Damnit Alice the guy has a shrine to you in his house. You saw it. Saw the pictures he has. He probably goes in there and masturbates to your pictures.”

“TERRY! Stop. And you don’t know. The pictures, the closet. It is upsetting. Yeah. I agree. It’s creepy. But he didn’t expect anyone to see it. You broke in.”  
  
”Door was open, we looked around.”

“You opened the door.”

“Might have helped the door open a little.”

“Who went in?”

“I think you know who went in. “

“I guess I do.”

“ ~~Alice do you know anything about a place he has in Bear Valley? You ever go there with him? Peter ever go up to Bear Valley with him. Maybe take Nick up.”~~

~~“No. No. Wait we went up to Bear Valley about once a year. Skiing, summer stayed in different places. One might have been his. No I think it was some relative of his. We did stay in a place connected to him a couple of times. “~~

~~“Could you locate it on a map.”~~

~~“If I thought about it for awhile maybe.”~~

~~“Get a map or do google earth. Make a list of all the places you’ve stayed in Bear Valley.”~~

“ ~~Terry that’s like 10 places.”~~

~~“Alice, your husband who loves you infinitely is asking you to do this small thing.”~~

~~“Infinitely, huh?”~~

~~”Infinitely~~. Look Alice there is a literature on stalkers. It could be he just took pictures of you added a few nudes and made a nice innocent closet collage he could use for his own pleasure, but there are men who do that with pictures and do more, actually kidnap women. And Peter’s death, your marrying me may have destabilized him, made him need to do more.”

“Couldn’t it be harmless?”

“Does it feel harmless to you?”

“It makes my skin crawl. But Terry what can be done? I can’t have a babysitter every minute.”

“You could. People have close protection. We do that for people. I could arrange that for you. I might arrange that.”

“I don’t want that, I don’t want to be followed, guarded. It feels confining. It feels ridiculous.”

“Alice I don’t want to take a chance.”

“He just wanted to talk Terry. This has escalated.”

“Yeah. He escalated it. If he tries to take you my guys will do what is necessary.”

~~Terry, this is so weird. I mean what if I wasn’t married to you. What would happen to me?~~

~~You are married to me and I won’t let anything happen to you.~~

“I don’t want him to get in trouble. He hasn’t done anything. Peter wouldn’t want him hurt.”

“Peter might want him hurt if he’d seen that closet Alice.”

“If you don’t want someone with you, I want you to consider leaving, going somewhere away from the house til I get back. Somewhere no one would think of. I can’t come back for a few more days.”

“Well when are you coming back? You won’t be here for New Years?”

“Alice, I’ll come back as soon as I can but this might take a few more days.”

”It’s okay. Nick and I and Tom and Cherie can celebrate together.”

“We’ll have our own New Years when I get back.”

“Terry can’t I just talk to him? Maybe I could get through to him.”

“No. You’re a smart girl Alice. Go on the internet and read the literature on stalkers. You can’t just talk to stalkers. Don’t try to talk to him. If he contacts you, limit the contact. Be polite. Then you tell Hasan immediately. Don’t meet with him. Alice don’t.”

“He hasn’t really stalked me.”

“He has a shrine to you in his house. He’s photographed you. For years. You saw those pictures.”  
  
“I did. The one of me in Africa when I was pregnant with Mali. I don’t have any pictures from that time. I’d like a copy of that.”

“Shall I ask someone to go back in and take that one?”

“Could you?”

”Yeah, I could.”

“Wouldn’t he know?”

“Might.”

”You’re joking aren’t you?”

“I could take all the pictures and you could sort through them.”

“Take out the nudes.”

“I’ll keep those separate for my enjoyment.”

“Terry, should we be joking about this?”

“Probably not.”

“Do you have any idea how much I love you?”

“Infinitely?”

“More.”


	12. Sile December 30

Dino and Terry are waiting in a cafe in Sile.

Terry’s friend Hakan Tilki is with them. Two military guys, from Turkish Special Forces on leave, friends of Hakan's son, are at a separate table. Dressed in civilian clothes.

Two burly guys come in. Speaking Chechen. Laughing. See Terry and Dino, greet them in Chechen.

Terry says to Dino, they said they are glad to meet their new business partners. That they thought we would be younger. But it doesn’t matter.

Dino says, "Great we have to deal with ageist thugs."

Terry says to the Chechen, “Can you speak English?”

“A little. I speak a little.”

“You have detained our friends.”

“De Tained? What is that?”

Dino says, “captured imprisoned kidnapped, stolen their boat. held them against their will.”

“Oh yes we De-Tained them.”

“We have done business a long time with them. We are not looking for anyone else.”

“They cheat you. They cheat everyone. We are better. You will do better come with us.”

“Why capture them?”

“To make you come. No way to find you. You pay well. They brag about the money. Brag charge you triple. Big mouth. Talk too much. Big deal cheat Americans. We will give a fair price, always fair. No big mouth.”

”Why?”

“Money. Americans pay. Always pay. Sometimes pay tip. You say this? Give extra because happy. Tip this is the word? We want to do business. Only business. Never cheat you. Maybe sometime you give us tip. ”

”Why now?”

“My brother has been in Russian prison. Just out. Likes boats. Screw Russians. Screw Chechens. Make money. Maybe go to America. You like us, do good business help my son go to school in America. Get green card.”

“Maybe could arrange something.”

”A range?”

“Get something do something.”

“What happens to our fisherman?”

“We let them go home. They smell bad, talk bad. My wife cares after them. Food for them. Pigs she says. Hates them. Would have let them go soon. Can’t stand them. You try us first. We are good. We will do job for you.”

“We can’t take chances mate. We don’t know you.”

”How we show you?”

The men engage in a discussion in rapid Chechen.

Terry says, “Too fast for me.”

Hakan says, “They are trying to think of a way to prove to you their value and that they can be trusted.”

Terry interrupts them. “Release the fishermen. Let us check on you. Give us some names, some history, give us two weeks. If we like what we find, we will arrange an operation with you. We will try you. I want to meet your whole crew.”

“We are brothers and cousins. All good men. Good seamen.” 

The men are excited. Stand. Clap each other on the back. Order drinks. The English speaker makes a call on his cell phone.

”My crew is coming. My son also. Very smart. Likes physics. You know physics? You like us, we do good work for you, you will maybe help my son go to America to study physics. He likes to work for NASA.”

“Release my fisherman.”

“Okay. Okay.” He makes another call, argues with someone. 

Hakan says, “They are letting them go. The boat too.” 

Terry, “Step one.”

Terry says in Chechen, “I want to see your boat.”

The men pause, look down.

“You don’t have a boat?”

“Our boat is old. With your business we will buy a better boat.”

There is an exchange between the men.

Terry says “I didn’t follow that”

Dino says, “I’m not following any of this.”

Hakan says, “He said they could kill the fishermen and take their boat.”

Terry says in English, “You must not kill the fishermen and must not take their boat.” He repeats it in Chechen.

”No, is okay. We won’t take their boat. Competition. Yes we are competition. We find different boat. Maybe steal a Russian boat repaint it.” He laughs.

Terry says, “Your boat is your business, mate. Just not my fisherman’s boat.”

The brothers and cousins come in, join them. They are all burly, jolly.

The Turkish Special forces guys come over, join the group. Have drinks. Everyone is smiling. One young guy with the Chechen's hangs back. Shy. The English speaker gathers him up pushes him to Terry.

”My son. Very smart. You will help him. NASA. He dreams of NASA.”

Terry shakes the boys hand.

Terry asks in Chechen, “You speak English?”

The boy, “Yes. I’ve studied it in school. And on-line. have on line friends. I read it well. Are you going to help my dad, work with him.”

Terry, “Maybe. We are considering it.”

The boy, “He’s a good man. Honest. Rough but good.”

Terry, "Yeah he seems that way to me. What’s your name? How old are you?”

”Anton. I’m 17.”

They eat, drink, everyone is jovial. The Chechens are delighted. They are sure they are going to be doing business with rich Americans. A beloved son may go to America to study.

Terry looks at his watch a few times.

“Dino, I need to get back. This thing with Alice worries me.”

“Come on Terry. Hasan is better than you. He’ll handle it. Those guys charging triple screwed them with me. I like these guys. Good to have a little competition.”

“Enjoy the food. We’ll eat and drink with them, close the place down, sleep on the plane. Go home tonight. I’ll call Paul tell him to get the plane ready. You’ll be home in 15 hours.

“Okay. Yeah. Dino, it’s hard worrying about her. Before I could have enjoyed this more you know. These guys they are fun. Enterprising. But Alice is on my mind, in the back of my mind all the time.”

“Well boyo, be careful what you wish for.”

“Yeah.”


	13. The Day before New Years Eve Dec 30

They've been in the air about 7 hours.  
Terry and Dino are sitting, talking. Comfortable. Laughing some about the Chechens. And the meeting.  
Paul comes out of the cabin.  
Paul walks back to Dino and Terry.  
Dino nods to the cabin. "Jenna in the pilot chair?"  
"Yeah. She gets a kick out of it."  
"Yeah I promised her."  
"She's a good pilot Dino."  
"What's up mate?"  
"Burning a little more fuel than I'd like. Want to refuel in New York. Want to have the engine looked at when we get back. "  
"Won't be on the ground long Terry."  
"Yeah okay.  
"Then straight to San Francisco. Weather looks good. Have you on the ground by 2000 (twenty hundred)."  
"Thanks mate."  
Terry's phone buzzes.  
"Hasan. Yeah what's going on. Where are you. Gale hasn't called me.  
Dellums? How did they lose him? Get somebody to the house. Now. Okay. Is McKenzie armed? Okay good. Yeah I thought she would be. But Hasan he has to be found.  
I'll be back about 2000 (twenty hundred). Marin airport. No I left my car there.  
I want you with her. Get someone else also. Besides you and McKenzie. Don't care who else you get.  
~~You want to move her.~~  
I don't care what Alice says. She is in no position to assess his dangerousness. Hasan I say the guy is dangerous. You know the guy is dangerous. You saw that closet mate.  
Well I'll call her and tell her she has to do what you say.  
I'll call her now."  
He hangs up. Dials Alice.  
Alice answers.  
Terry puts her on speaker. Motions for Dino to be quiet.   
Alice goddammnit.  
Terry, listen.  
You listen Alice. You do what Hasan tells you to do.  
Terry there's a visitor here.   
Oh a visitor. Who is it?  
An old friend of Peter’s. Stopped by our Christmas party.  
He says you threw him out.  
He's with you and McKenzie? Right now?  
He hit McKenzie on the head. He knocked her out. She is lying on the floor. He put those plastic ties on her. He has a gun Terry. He says he doesn't want to hurt us. But he said has to talk to me. When she started to wake up, he put a cloth over her nose and mouth and it put her to sleep. She’s still asleep.   
Terry motions to Dino, mouths to call Hasan.  
He was waiting for us when me and McKenzie came in.  
He was in the house? How'd he get in the house. I'd like to ask him.  
Let me talk to him.  
He won't talk to you.   
No, huh?  
He says he is taking me to the mountains. Wants to talk privately to me, he doesn't want you interfering.  
Ask him if he used ether on McKenzie?  
He says he did but it won't hurt her.   
Can he hear me.   
Yes.   
No ether man she's pregnant. Ether could hurt the baby. She'll do what you want. They’ll both do what you want. You don’t need to hurt them.  
Dino points to the phone. Mouths “Hasan".  
I'll be back soon.  
Could he wait til I get back. Won’t be long. Yeah, I’d really like to talk to him. I won't throw him out. Just like to talk. Want what's best for you.   
Dino walks a little away, tells Hasan, McKenzie and Alice are with Ward Dellums in the house. And Terry has Alice on the phone. Tells Hasan not to say anything.  
Dino walks back, holds the phone near Terry so Hasan can hear.  
Are you hurt Alice? Did he hurt you.  
No he didn’t hurt me. I'm just worried about McKenzie. He said he would shoot McKenzie if I don’t go with him. I begged him not to hurt her.   
He said we are leaving now.  
Will he talk to me first?  
No Terry. He is shaking his head.  
Does he understand you are my wife.  
He says it can be annulled. Our marriage. Says I made a mistake.  
Will he let you pack some things to take so you will be comfortable?  
He says okay.  
But he has to go with me, to see what I pack. He says if I trick him, he will use ether on me and tie me up.  
He says he won’t hurt me. That you don’t need to worry. He said he’s sorry he went to Antarctica. He says I probably thought he didn’t care about me, that’s why I married you.  
Alice has he told you where he is taking you.  
He told me but he says I can’t tell you, but it is okay Terry. It’s somewhere I’ve been before. With Peter. Somewhere he has been recently. He said he was getting it ready for me.  
Well be sure you take a sweater Alice. It’s December. It gets cold away from the Bay Area. Take the big Irish wool sweater the one in the top drawer. That will keep you warm.  
Terry he said I have to go now. I want to cooperate cause I don’t want him to hurt McKenzie anymore.  
Good bye Terry.   
She hangs up.  
Terry picks up Dino’s phone.  
You hear that man? Hasan where the fuck are you? He has Alice and McKenzie.  
How did he get into my house?  
Terry, I’m down the street. I was on my way to your house. Terry we had two guys on him. They were shadowing him. And McKenzie has been with her. But they obviously lost him.  
Let me call Gale.  
Terry give me a few minutes. I know your house, got the layout in my head. Let me take a look. I see his car in in your driveway. I’m going to disable it.  
Yea good. With it there he can't get Alice's car out. You see McKenzie's car? Disable it too man.  
Can’t let him leave with her.  
Give me ten minutes Terry.  
Stay on the phone with me.  
Hassan hangs up.  
Snapping assholes. He hung up.  
Dino reaches over puts a hand on Terry's arm. "He's the best we have. Terry. Let him do his thing."  
Terry punches in another number. "Yeah Gale , where the fuck are you? Where are the two guys who are supposed to be watching Dellums. Well you are supposed to know that man. Well you better get there pretty damn soon cause he is in the house with Alice and McKenzie. Alice says he has a gun and ether. He hit McKenzie over the head. tied her up and used ether on her as a follow-up and she is out cold Alice said. Hassan is there. Outside. Hasan is going to disable Dellum's car. Mike, your job was to keep my wife safe and she’s in the house with the guy you were to keep her safe from. Goddman it mate, we are supposed to be a fucking security company.   
No police. Not yet. Rather us handle it. If we want law enforcement I'll call Will Abernathy. FBI can control the local police.  
Fire captain across the street. Maybe we can stage from there.   
Dino can you get the cell for the fire captain - Rivers, Charlie first name.   


Got the number for your architect neighbor when I was at the party. Thought I might have him look at the Bolinas house. He’s been in the neighborhood a long time. May have the fire captain's number.

Dino calls, explains. He nods to Terry. Dino hangs up, dials again hands the phone to Terry.

Hey Charlie, Terry Thorne. Yeah your neighbor. Yeah glad you could come. Glad you had a good time. I got a little situation at my house. Man, acquaintance of my wife, acting crazy, broke in to my house, is holding my wife and a friend of hers. I been worried about him. Glad you asked, I have one guy there now, he was at the party, Hasan Meghwar. Maybe you met him. Yeah. With the most beautiful woman there? Yeah that's him. She’s being held in the house, too. His fiancé. And I have my shop manager on the way, Mike Gale. No don’t want the police. Guy is big important scientist. Don't want to ruin the guy's career or the guy's life. Just want to calm everything down. Wondered if my guys could meet up at your place. Not danger to you or your family, but best to shelter in place til we get him calmed down. He has a gun. No I know there are some good people at PD. I know they have SWAT. We, my company, have experience with this kind of thing. We can handle it. Do it quietly. Best for everyone. Sure thanks.

Dials Hasan. Guy across the street is a fire captain. Was at the party. You can stage from his place. Charlie Rivers. Just talked to him. He favors bringing in PD, SWAT, keep him convinced we don’t need them. Oh he thought McKenzie was most beautiful woman at the party. Told him she was being held against her will along with Alice. He wants to be sure she's okay. 

<


	14. The day before New Years Eve continued Dec 30

Terry is restless. Gets up out of his seat walks back and forth down the aisle of the plane. Looks at his phone.  
Gets a bottle of gin and a glass. Brings it to his seat. Pours a glass half full. Takes a sip. Gets up goes to the galley. Pours out the rest.  
So nervous you are pouring perfectly good gin out.  
Terry looks at the empty glass.  
"Like to get drunk Dino. But may need to do something later."  
"It's been over an hour."  
Half hour man.  
Can't decide whether to call Abernathy or not.  
Give our guys a little time Terry.  
It's Alice mate.  
I know it's Alice.  
I was stupid. Having Dellums followed and not having more protection at the house.  
I played this all wrong Dino.  
I've been with her one year. One year Dino. What if I lose her? Lose her now?  
Not going to lose her man. Got to believe in our guys, Terry.  
They fucking lost him Dino.  
They'll find him. Hasan will get to Alice. He'll take care of it. Nobody better.

Terry's phone buzzes.  
Yeah Hasan. He pushes speaker.  
Dino is here, he can hear you.  
Where am I? 30,000 feet over Nebraska I imagine.  
Hasan what is going on? Do you have Alice, McKenzie.  
I have McKenzie. She was lying on the floor of your living room. She was coming around. He tied her up pretty tight. No way she could have gotten away then used the ether on her. Maybe a concussion. Don't know how much ether he used. She knew who I was. Pretty out of it. Her purse is here. Looks like it was unopened. Her gun is still in it. Probably he didn’t even look. Got an ambulance for her, they just took her. Jay is here and Mike Gale. Samira is going to meet McKenzie at the hospital. Mike Gale's sister is with Chatty. Dellums is gone and so is Alice. I don't think he has her. The door to your bathroom is broken in. And window is open over the tub. I think he let her go in the bathroom and she locked the door and went out the window. The kitchen door to the path is wide open but the path lights are off. I think she went down the path to dock, she knows her way. He maybe went after her or tried to. Dark as pitch back there. He may still be around there or he may have gone.  
No sign of him?  
No. She knows the area and he doesn't  
She hates to swim.  
I think Terry that's what she did. To get away she went in the water. Any idea where she would go?  
Probably to the Crager's, it's two houses up. North of us. All cliffs south. Crager's have a beach and dock arrangement like ours. She can wade part of the way but would have to swim part of the way. She could do it but it wouldn't be easy for her. She's a weak swimmer and it will be cold as hell out there and she'll be in her clothes.  
The have paths up the hill like ours but no lights. She could hide in the brush. Could find her way up their path. Hard for him to know that's where she'd go. And even if he did figure it out, unless he has a flashlight, night vision, he wouldn't find her on the hillside.  
Terry, I'll go down the path. I have a bag. Night vision and a torch. I'll follow the path she might take. I’ll go through the water to Crager’s. If she's hiding anywhere there, I'll find her.  
Send Jay to the house. Front door. Crager is retired lawyer. Nice enough guy. Jay can tell him someone broke in to our place and we think Alice got away down our path, may have gone to his place for safety. If he doubts Jay is who he says call me. Jay is to convince him we can handle it. No police. If it looks like police, I’ll get Abernathy.  
I'll find her. She got away.  
Okay. Thanks mate.  
Hasan I got a call now from Rivers the fire chief. Terry hangs up with Hasan. Takes the fire chief’s call.  
Yeah Charlie. You are at Crager’s? Didn’t recognize her? In his kitchen, collapsed? She's all right? Hypothermia. Crager wanted you to do first aid. Yeah okay. Paramedics on their way? Yeah. Somewhere over Colorado, maybe Utah. Landing about 2200 (twenty two hundred) hours. Yeah. Thanks mate. Teeth chattering. Yeah I know that's good. Only first stage. I have guys there now. Jay Shah and Hasan. They are looking for her. Tell Crager my guys may come to his place. Meghwar can ride with her to the hospital. Charlie the guy who broke in. I don't know what he might do, just be careful. My guys are armed. No we can handle it, just keep the police out of it. Yeah well so far he's just interested in Alice. Can I talk to her? No I understand, teeth chattering. I'll just talk to her. Put the phone on speaker. She doesn't have to answer. Alice, I'll be there soon. You are going to be okay. You don't have to talk. I love you. They will warm you up. Take care of you. McKenzie’s going to be okay. I'll come to the hospital from the plane.  
“Terry, I've taken the phone off speaker, she keeps nodding off. She heard the first part. That you’d be there soon. Now just me again. The paramedics are here. Let us get her squared away man.”  
“Thanks Charlie. Thank Blake for me too.”  
“Blake says if you expect him to keep rescuing your wife, you have to invite him to your Christmas parties.”  
Terry says, "Tell Blake, it was obviously a stupid oversight not to include him. He's guest of honor next year."  
“Listen Charlie, Alice and I are generally quiet people. We are not going to be problem neighbors man. This isn't typical. I promise you." Terry hangs up.  
"She's okay Dino. She's cold, wet, hypothermic. She’s safe.  
That's good man. Real good. <  
Terry calls Hasan.<  
Hasan, Alice is at Crager's. She's okay. No sign of Dellums. I don't know how she did it. She swam it and climbed up his path. She is hypothermic. Crager didn't recognize her, came and got Charlie Rivers to treat a woman with hypothermia who showed up on his kitchen floor. She couldn't speak. She made it up to their back door and banged on it got it open collapsed on their kitchen floor. It was unlocked so she got in. She's soaking wet and muddy. Crater called paramedics and Rivers. Rivers called me. I told Rivers, I want you with her to the hospital. Or if you want to go to McKenzie now send Gale or Jay with her. I want one of you with her til I get there. Have Gale leave two guys at my house. May have to be there all night. I'll let Gale know. Keep law enforcement out of it. No I haven't called Nick. He's on Mt Shasta. I'll call him from the hospital. Go over to Crager's now. They are expecting you. I'll call Gale. Call me from Crager's.

Dino pours Jay gin and himself a scotch. Dino touches his glass to Terry's.

Terry picks up the gin, salutes Dino with it. Dials again, says into the phone, "Hey Gale, she's okay. She's at the neighbors. Got down the path and went around the cliff through the water and then climbed back up to their back door. Yeah. Well she's pretty cold and wet. I want somebody with her til I get there. One of our people. They've called paramedics for her. Hasan probably wants to go to McKenzie now so you or Shah go with Alice. Stay with her til I get there. How many guys you got at the house now? Four. Yeah. Four’s good. I want them armed and there til I get back. Not sure when that will be. Might not be til tomorrow sometime. I'm going straight to the hospital. Tell them there is a fridge down in the game room. They are welcome to anything in it. Welcome to the pool table. Bathroom in game room, welcome to use it. Tell them to get the window in my bathroom closed. Lock up the house and patrol the grounds every couple of hours. I don't' think Dellums will come back, I think he'll just try to get away. We have his car disabled. So he'll have to call an Uber or something. We'll take his car back tomorrow. If they see him, tell tell him to get lost and tell him we'll bring his car back tomorrow. No police. He's got a gun if he comes around and threatens anyone with the gun take him down and hold him. Yeah there's a storage room under the garage. Put him in there and let me know. I think he'll just go away now.

“Terry, I'm sorry. Man, I am so sorry. I don't know what happened. They are good guys I had on him.”

“We'll talk about what went wrong later. Just care that she's ok, that she's safe for now. Yeah, want to know what the screw-up was. Want to know so it doesn't happen again to somebody else. Not important to me right now. I'll find out. Yeah good thanks. Have somebody let me know when she's at the hospital.”


	15. New Years Eve Dec 31

Terry walks in to Marin Presbyterian. "I'm here to see Alice Throne."  
Clerk looks in the computer. "She's still in ICU."  
"You are?"  
"Her husband."  
She gives Terry a visitors badge and a map. "Just tell them at the station. It's quiet this time of night. No problem seeing her."  
Terry finds the nurses station.  
"I think there is someone back there already".  
"Yeah, I'm her husband. Had a friend stay til I could get here.  
"She's over there. I think she is sleeping. Temp is still below normal. Just go on over but keep your voices down."  
Terry pulls back the curtain a little ways. Jay is sitting, texting on his phone.  
"Hey boss. She's good. Getting good care here. "  
Terry looks down. Alice is sleeping. She has an IV drip in her arm. And an electric blanket over her.  
Terry touches her skin.  
"She still feels pretty cold. "  
"Yeah, they warm 'em up slowly. She's good. She told me to tell you you were right if she was asleep when you got here. And that she is sorry about McKenzie."  
"How's McKenzie?"  
"I was texting Hasan when you came in. They admitted her. She's upstairs. Hasan and Samira are with her. Got a concussion. They are keeping her a day or two. Said there is some chance of birth defects because of the ether but low probability. The Emergency Room thought we should call the police, but we talked them out of it."  
"If you are good with Alice, I'll get Samira and go on home. "  
"Gale's sister came over to our place so Samira didn't have to wake Chatty. She's real good with her."  
"Where's Gale?"  
"He stayed at your place. Worried Dellums might come back. I rode over with Alice with the paramedics and Hasan followed in his car."  
Jay yawns.  
"You can get going, Jay. Thanks a lot. You got a car here?  
"Yeah Samira drove over. We'll go back now. They'll let Hasan stay. "  
"Uh Terry, how did our guys lose him, Dellums? How did this happen. We don't screw-up that often. And then fuck when we do it's with your wife.  
"Don't know. Gale says he'll find out. Going to have to be a real inquiry into this one. Not just because it's Alice but because it’s a giant fuck-up. McKenzie could have been killed, Alice too."  
"Somebody going be fired?  
“Maybe. Need to find out first. Some of this is my mistake. Should have had more people on Alice. Maybe just had people on Alice."  
Jay yawns again.  
"Go home Shah."  
"Yeah, night Terry."  
"Night Shah."

Terry takes off his jacket puts it on the back of the chair. Leans over brushes Alice’s hair back. Kisses her gently, slowly. Says her name softly. Alice. She opens her eyes.  
Says sleepily, "Are you back? Or am I dreaming."  
"Not a dream. I'm back."  
"I was really cold. It's not so bad now. Blake Crager helped me."  
"That's what I hear."  
The nurse comes in.  
Alice says to the nurse, "He could warm me up more. He could get in bed with me."  
Nurse says, "Might warm you up too much. We want you warmed up slowly. Better for you. Let him just sit here beside you. I'm going to make you sleep again. Doctor says you can go home tomorrow. Be back in bed together soon enough. Sleep now. "  
The nurse injects something into the I V drip. Alice drifts off.  
Terry looks at his watch. Leans over kisses Alice, whispers, “Happy New Year.” Terry quietly move a second chair over, slips off his shoes, sits next to the bed, puts his feet on the other chair. Puts his hand lightly on Alice’s hand, leans back and doses.


	16. New Year’s Morning January 1st

In the morning Terry calls Nick. Tells him Alice was in the hospital overnight for hypothermia. Tells him Dellum's broke into the house the day before. That his mom escaped from Dellums by going down the path and swimming to the Cragers. That everything is okay. Terry tells Nick her being in the hospital was just a precaution and that they are going home in a little while. Tells Nick he doesn't need to come home early, but that Dino is staying for a few days before he goes back to St. Augustine and Jenna is at the house now. Nick says he’ll be home in the afternoon. He hangs up.

Alice sits up. Points to the phone. “Nick?”

“Yeah. Just told him the basics.”

"Terry do you know where Ward is?"

"No." 

"Shouldn't we report this to the police? I mean he assaulted McKenzie. He has a gun."

"What happened Alice?"

"McKenzie and I went out for lunch, then we went to the Marine Mammal Institute. I'm thinking of volunteering there. And then we came back it was almost dark and he was already in the living room when we went in. He was standing kind of behind the door. He hit McKenzie over the head with that finial we had on the mantle the marble one. He had a gun too and said he had to talk to me. He apologized for hitting McKenzie but then said he had to tie her up. He tied her up then when she started to wake up he put a cloth over her mouth and nose and that knocked her out again. He said it was ether and it wouldn’t her her. And he would use it on me if I didn’t cooperate. Then a little while later you called. And I went upstairs to pack and I saw the gun in the sweater drawer. And I knew you wanted me to use it, but I didn't know how.

Terry says, “It was all I could think of. I am going to teach you to use a gun Alice.”

Alice shakes her head. “No.”

“Yes. You have to learn. “

"Let me finish, Terry, so I said I had to pee and the thought of me peeing, it seem to kind of embarrass him and he let me close the bathroom door and I locked it and I turned on the water to give myself some time and climbed out the window jumped down and ran down the path. It was all dark by then and he started to follow me but I got to the bottom and I thought I could make it to the Crager's. But I was afraid. I thought the water might pull me out, but I knew I could wade part of the way. I knew I didn’t have to swim the whole way. It was so cold Terry. The water pulled me and it is slimy there there must be plants under the water. And it's so far. I got tired. But I found their dock and their beach and their path. I was wet and I kept falling down. And I was so cold. My legs are all skinned up. They cleaned me up here partly as a way of warming me I think. I couldn't talk when I got to Crager's - their lights were on - I bumped against the French doors. Then I tried it. The door. It wasn’t even locked. I just went in. I can’t imagine how I looked. They heard me and came in but I couldn't talk I was just lying on the floor then. They didn’t know who I was at first. Some muddy wet bedraggled woman. Blake called Charlie and Charlie recognized me. I was afraid they might not be home. I knew I was hypothermic, I thought I might die. And we’ve only had a year together. 

We are going to have lots of time together.

How is McKenzie?  
  
She's here too. A concussion. Upstairs. Hasan's with her.  
  
Let’s go home.   
  
My clothes were all wet. They took them.

Jenna is at the house. She’ll bring you whatever you want. I brought Jenna with me to the hospital last night. She drove my car home and stayed at the house last night. I had two guys there all night so she was safe. He didn't come back. She'll bring some clothes for you and come pick us up. Dino is staying a few days before he flies back. Wants to meet with the architect he met at our party about the Bolinas house. I’ll call Jenna then go check you out of here. 

What about Ward? Shouldn’t we call the police?

Not just yet.

Let’s just get home.

He won’t be at the house. I’ve had people at the house since last night. He’s not there.


	17. New Years Day Jan 1

Nick walks into the living room. Alice is on the couch with a blanket over her lap. Blake Cragers the neighbor and Charlie Rivers are there in armchairs across from Alice. Jenna is serving crackers and cheese and pouring wine.   
"Happy New Year. Welcome to my hypothermia party, Nicky."  
Terry walks over to Nick.  
“Your mother is mildly euphoric Nick. It’s temporary. She was skinned-up, sore shoulder maybe from going out the window, got some pain meds on board.”  
“She sounds a drunk.”  
“Just the meds.”  
“Mr. Cragers this is Alice’s son Nick, my step-son. Nick, Mr. Cragers. And Nick, you remember Chief Rivers he was at the party.  
“Hi Chief Rivers.  
“Thank you for saving my mom Mr. Cragers.”  
“She saved herself.”  
“Mom, how did you do that? You’re afraid of the water. It was dark, cold.”  
”I got more friendly with the water sailing from St. Augustine to here. And I was more afraid of Ward than I was of the water. It was cold though, so cold. ”  
One of Terry’s guys appears in the doorway to the living room. Motions to Terry.  
Terry gets up, they walk out onto the deck.  
“He’s back in his house. Uber dropped him off an hour or so ago.”  
"You want us to take his car back."  
"Yeah, call Hasan see what he did to it. Alice can't get her car out til it’s moved.  
"You could have it towed."  
"Nah, get it started and drive it back to his place. Leave it out front. After you drop it let me know. I’ll call him."  
'"Might have to damage it to get it started.  
"Yeah tough for him then."  
"Okay boss."  
"You want us to stay."  
“Yeah I’ll call Gale. I want two guys 24 hours for the next few days.”  
"Nice assignment your place, boss. Game room. Pool table. Nice table. Open fridge. Thanks for letting us play. I heard you’re pretty good. Hard to beat."  
"Nah. Just enjoy a game."  
"I’ll call you when we have his car back."  
“Yeah okay thanks.”  
Terry calls Gale. Tells him he wants 24 hours two guys for next three days.  
Tells him he’s sending one guy back with Dellums car so send someone to pick him up.

Dino comes out on the foot bridge, looks down at Terry on the deck.Hassan and McKenzie are with him.  
Dino looks around. “Where's Alice?"  
“Holding court in the living room. Sounds a little drunk. Little hypo-mania thing going on. From her meds. She’s fine. Proud of her swim. Not worrying about Dellums right now.”  
Hasan’s says, “We came to see how Alice is and to get McKenzie’s car. I have to un-disable it.”

McKenzie looking at Terry, “I let you down Terry. It came out all right but he could have killed us both. I was sluggish. I didn’t clear the room. Didn't think he could be behind the door. He could have taken my gun. My fault. All my fault. Didn't react. I’d been throwing up, felt like shit. No excuse. Always saw myself as Laura Croft. Pregnancy shouldn’t have made any difference. I didn’t even react Terry, I just let him hit me. I’m so sorry.”  
Terry nods, “Yeah. I thought we hired Laura Croft. But I screwed up too. I put guys on him. Expected them to keep him under surveillance. Should have let me know they lost him. "

"Yeah but you didn't worry cause you thought I was on her. I fucked up Terry.”

Terry says "Go in. She’s been worried about you, But she’s a little euphoric from the meds. Expansive. Calling it her hypothermia party. Never seen her like this. She’s funny."

McKenzie goes in the living room. goes over to Alice. Embraces her. Terry comes in stands at the doorway. Hasan and Dino stand with Terry.

Dino says, “She’s not worrying right now about him. How about you, you worrying about Dellums?”

“Not sure what to do with him. I want to go in his place and rip that closet out. Real primitive feeling. Don’t like him having her pictures. Don’t want him looking at her pictures. Don't want him looking at her. Don't want him thinking about her. Want to damage the guy. Hurt him.”  
“Good thing you’re a civilized fellow.”  
“Yeah. Go say hi. Mac know? “  
“Not yet.”


	18. Terry Calls Izzat

Terry and Dino are by themselves on the living room deck of Terry’s house.  
Terry says, “I’m calling Iz”  
"Yeah. You want his help"  
"Maybe. Want him to know, may want his thoughts."  
"He still may be making Jo languid"  
"Well she is due back day after tomorrow. Don’t need a languid operator."  
"Put her in training - Virginia 30 miles with a pack"  
"Krav Maga for two weeks"  
"Cooking 101"  
"Yeah let’s torture the girl - go with cooking"  
"Maybe needle point."  
"Iz will put him down for you."  
"Might like to put him down myself."  
"Not your style man."  
"I make exceptions."  
"For Alice?"  
"For people I love."  
Terry dials. Puts the phone on speaker.  
“Iz?”  
“Hello Sir Terry. As always it is a pleasure to speak to you.”  
"Iz Dino’s here with me."  
“Colonel Dean. My regards.”  
“Hi Iz.”  
"Terry has there been more problem with the man who troubled Alice?"  
"He broke in. He had a gun. McKenzie was with her. He hit McKenzie on the head, gave her a concussion, tied her, used either on her. Wanted to take Alice. Alice got away, got herself to a neighbor’s. They are both okay.”  
"Is he dead? If not I will kill him. Unless Hasan has killed him already."  
"He’s not dead. Not sure where he is just now. Are you working on anything? Is Jo still there?"  
"Jo has left. I offered to fly her back. But she went to Rome to see a friend. Your pilot called her. Jo is quite an interesting young woman. Your women Terry, Dino, the women you select, I like them very much."  
"Iz, find your own girls, women."  
"Terry, what do you require?"  
"Not in the middle of anything."  
"My schedule is flexible for you."  
"I could use you. Not sure what I want to do with Dellums."  
"You wish to decide together his fate? I will come now. 15 hours.  
Thanks Iz.


	19. Alice Has Protection

“Alice two of my people are going to be here, they will be here around the clock. Different ones. 3 shifts.”  
“Okay.”  
“I thought you would object.”  
”No.”  
“They are not guests. You don’t need to treat them like guests.”  
“Well I can be courteous to them.”  
”Don’t make them lunch. Or dinner. They are working.”  
“Terry, I’ll let them be here. It's okay. I trust you, trust that this is something I have to do your way.”  
”You don’t really have a choice.”  
“Terry, I do have a choice. I could say no. We could fight about it.”  
”We could fight about it. I'd win though.”  
“What I was going to say is this is my house and if I want to offer them lunch...”  
“Fine. Offer them lunch. We'll have guys fighting over the detail here.”  
“Didn't you let them play pool here and give them access to the downstairs refrigerator?”  
“Alice why are we arguing about this?”  
“Cause I like to argue with you sometimes. Keeps you on your toes. What happens next?”  
“Iz is coming.  
“Dino calls him your pet assassin.”  
”He does. But Iz is not an assassin.”  
“Why does Dino call him that?”  
“Iz is utilitarian.”  
“What does that mean?”  
“He does what is in the public good.”  
“Is he coming here?”  
“He isn’t staying here. But he is coming here. He is going to help us decide on a disposition”  
“For Ward?”  
“Yes.”  
“Iz is going to kill him?”  
“Not necessarily.”  
“Do you know where Ward is?”  
“He is on the way to Bear Valley. He went home. Had his car towed to fix the damage did Hasan disabling it and then our starting it. He rented another car. We have a device on his rental car. We are keeping an eye on him.”


	20. A Meeting and a Plan

Dino, Iz, Jay, Hasan and Terry are at the office in San Francisco. They are in a conference room. Iz and Hasan are cool but polite to each other. 

Your call Terry.  
The guy is a valuable scientist.  
I know what Iz will say.  
And what is that  
That we should end him.  
My preference is easily known. But in this case Hasan and I agree I am quite certain. And Terry, you must as well.  
There are so many ways a person can die, ways that raise little suspicion.  
Hasan, besides the closet picture shrine to Alice are there other links to Alice.  
None in the house. I haven’t been in the place he went to in Bear Valley.  
That’s where he is now. Bear Valley.  
Alice wants the pictures. She said to take out the nudes. Some from a time in Africa she says she doesn’t have any pictures from.  
So Terry, you want me and Jay to go in and dismantle his closet.  
Yeah. Just go in as painters or something. Cut the three walls out and bring it to my place.  
Okay. Alice really wants the pictures.  
Says she does.  
Then what  
Then we are going to Bear Valley to pay Mr. Dellums a visit. See how crazy he is.


	21. Alice Sees Dellums' Collage

Alice and Terry are standing in their storeroom under the garage. The three walls of the Dellum's shrine-to-Alice closet are propped against the back wall.

"I thought you were going to take out the nudes."

”Well you can see a delicate surgery would be needed. And you said there are pictures here you want."

"This is a collage of my life:"

"It is."

"That’s me in third grade. Where do you think he got those pictures of me?"

Library maybe, on line. You were quite the appealing 3rd grader. I would have fallen in love with you then.

What kind of third grader were you?

Shy. Liked sports. Rugby. Quiet. Liked school but didn't like my chums to know. 

Aren't we tampering with evidence?

Don't think the police or courts are going to be involved. So not an issue.

What? You and your pals are going to be judge and jury. Terry, that isn't necessary.

Do you remember what we had to do when we were negotiating for Peter. 

We didn't involve the authorities even the embassy cause we couldn't depend on them to help us, or not to screw it up. It's not like that here Terry. You don't think it is like that in the United States do you?

Sometimes it is. Would be in this case. 

What do I do with this this collage. These walls? 

Just leave it here for awhile you’ll figure it out.

It’s like a photo biography.

It is.

Why did he do it?

His way of having you when he couldn’t have you.

Did you want to make a closet collage of me?

Wish I'd thought of it. No I'd just sit outside your house all night. Follow you to the library. Check the latest purchases on your Visa card. Did you want to make a collage of me. 

Terry how could I? One there was Peter. Two, I didn't have a single picture of you. I would just go to your and Dino's website and moon over your pictures there. 

~~In love, everybody’s a teenager.~~

What are you going to do about him? Do you think he is crazy?

Not qualified to judge that. Haven’t decided yet what to do. What would you like done?

I'd like him to stop collecting pictures of me, for him to forget about me.

What I want most is for you to be safe and secure.

I don’t want him hurt or killed. Would he have hurt me?

Maybe. He hurt McKenzie and he had a gun. Why don't you want him hurt or killed?

Because I don’t think he did it on purpose. And he is an important scientist. He contributes to the public good.

Not sure we can make him change. ~~about you.~~ Behavior change is a tough one, but we will keep it in mind.

Who will keep it in mind? 

Dino and I, Hasan, Iz. We will make the decision about what is to be done.

Like your parliament. You'll get their opinions. Maybe you should ask Sammy's wife. She is the psychologist.

Don't want to put her in the middle of something. 

You put me in the middle of it.

No Alice I didn't. What happened at the party, his approaching you, some version of that would have happened whether I was here or not. I don't know what would have happened if I were not in the picture. 

I don't know either. It scares me a little. 

Should scare you.

What happens now?

Dino and I and Hasan and Iz are going to pay your Mr. Dellums a visit in Bear Valley. See what the has to say for himself. 

Please don't' call him that.

What?

My Mister Dellums. Call him Peter's Mr. Dellums. Or just Mr. Dellums or Dr. Dellums. 

I am going to keep Dr. Dellums under surveillance. And I am going to have a visit and a chat with him. 


	22. Bear Valley House

Terry gets out of a gray Toyota Land Cruiser. Iz and Dino wait inside it. Jay and Hasan pull up behind them in a Honda Pilot and park. Terry walks over to a van that says "Internet Cable Incorporated" parked across the street from the Bear Valley House where Ward Dellums is staying. Terry makes a call on his cell phone. Two men come out of the van. They have on reflecting vests. 

"Sit rep?"

"He went out for breakfast. Ate alone. Looked at his phone til his food came. Ate waffles, side of sausage. Orange juice. Came back here. Made a pot of coffee. Sitting at the table in the kitchen. Working on his computer. We can listen to him, see him, have cameras inside, but we don’t have any tracking on his computer. Might be useful to pair his phone. We searched the house. Nothing personal there except some clothes. Might not even be his clothes."

We’re going to have a visit with him. Jay is with us. I want to put Jay in the van. One of you has a car up here? 

”Yeah over at the mall. “

“Jay will run you back there. Leave the van. You’re off. Take the day.”

”Want us to stay ready.”

“No. Well take it from here. Give Gale a call see what he needs.”

“Okay.”

Jay comes up. One man gives Jay the keys to the van. Jay locks it. The two men walk with Jay to the Honda. Hasan gets out. The men and Jay get in then drive away. Terry walks back over to Dino and Iz. Hasan walks up to them.

“Do you favor knocking on his door or just letting ourselves in.”

“He just sat down, might be an imposition to make him get up to answer the door. Could save him the trouble, just let ourselves in."

Dino says, "Two front, two back, one outside.”

Terry nods. “Jay outside in the van. He'll watch. He'll be back soon. Dino, you and Hasan in back, Iz and I will go in the front.”

Terry and Iz walk across the street, up the stairs to the front door. It isn’t locked. Terry opens the door and he and Iz walk in. They go to the kitchen, Terry stands in the doorway.

Ward Dellums looks up.

“Get out of my house.”

Terry moves inside the kitchen door. Iz follows Terry. Dino and Hasan appear in the opposite door.

Dellums looks back and forth. “All of you get out. Get out or I call the police.”

“You won’t call the police.”

“What do you want?”

Hasan says, “World peace. You?”

Dellums, “I want you to leave.”

Hasan, “You assaulted a woman we care about. You understand we can’t just let that go.”

Dellums, “She shouldn’t have been there. I needed to talk to Alice.”

~~"You put both women in the hospital."~~

~~“Alice is my wife now. Before that she was Peter's wife. ”~~

“You injured a woman who was pregnant. She could have miscarried. You could have killed her, killed the baby.”

Dellums hangs his head.

“We saw your closet, your Alice closet. We took it to Alice.”

Dellums looks up. “You took my closet? How?”

“Saws. Crow bars. We were careful. We didn’t cut thru any electrical wires. Or plumbing. Don’t worry. Some sheet rock, hammer, some nails. You can repair the damage. I mean theoretically you could if you live long enough. ”

“You took my closet, you showed it to Alice.?”

“Yeah mate. She was impressed. You have pictures she doesn’t have. The ones from Africa when she was pregnant with Mali. She was especially interested in those. She didn’t like the nudes interspersed though. Made her uncomfortable. Grossed her out a little.“

“Alice saw the pictures?”

“Yeah. She has them now.”

“Those are my pictures.”

“Ownership of those pictures kind of a gray area, mate.”

“Why are you here?”

"Well mainly we want to ensure Alice’s safety.”

“And we can’t allow you to hit anyone else on the head or use ether on anyone. ”

“Four of you?”

“Five. We have a guy across the street.”

“Five against one?”

“Yeah. That’s the way we like it. We are all trained in the benefits of overwhelming force. “

Iz says, “Well, usually I work alone.”

Hasan adds, “I usually work alone too.”

Terry laughs, "Not information he needs. Part of the team now. "

Iz and Hasan exchange a look.

“You are ex-Seals or something. Are you going to kill me?”

“Haven’t decided yet. “

Terry's phone buzzes. "Yeah. Good. Just keep an eye on things."

"Our watcher has returned from his errand."

“She’s seen all the pictures?”

“Might be looking at them as we speak.”

“I wasn’t hurting anybody. She went out with me first. Then Peter took her away.”

“But she was your friend’s wife, mate.”

“What are we going to do with you?”

“Look, I’ll stay away. Can we just forget it? She married you. I’ll accept that. I made a mistake. I just waited all those years then Peter died and I thought it was my chance. My turn."

”Your turn? Any thought to what she wanted, mate?”

"She should would want me. I'm a good catch. I make a lot of money. Never married. No kids. No obligations. I'm respected. I have an interesting life. I'm smarter than Peter. I could get a Nobel for my work on climate. "

"That justify the Alice-closet, mate?”

“Look it didn’t hurt anyone. The closet. Just for my enjoyment. ”

”You stalked her. You took all those pictures. You added the nudes.”

”You know how it is.”

“No mate I’m not sure I do. You came to my house. Twice. She's my wife. You manhandled my wife the first time. The second time you came into my house with a gun.”

“Your wife? She was my Alice.”

“Not your Alice, mate. Never was your Alice. Never going to be your Alice.”

Hasan growls, “And you could have killed the woman who was with Alice. And her baby.”

Dellums stands up. “I HAD TO TALK TO ALICE. SHE HAD TO LISTEN TO ME. ”

“SIT DOWN.” Terry commands. 

Dino puts his hand on Dellums shoulder, pushes him back down in the chair. “Down man.”

Dino pulls out plastic ties, roughly pulls Dellums' hands around behind the the chair. Fastens his wrists together.

Dellums struggles. "Stop it. Don't do that. You are hurting me. That is against the law. It is false imprisonment. You can't do this."

"You can't hit people on the head and go into someone's home with ether and a gun."

"It wasn't loaded." 

"Loaded or not, you sent two women to the hospital."

~~"Alice went to the hospital?"~~

Dellums starts to speak. No words come out. 

"You have something to say to us?"

"I didn't hurt Alice. She ran away. I didn't want to hurt her."

"You hurt them both. She'll be okay. So will the other woman." 

"I didn't touch Alice."

~~"I love her."~~

~~"Not relevant at this point."~~

"What we want to know is if we leave you alive, will you leave Alice alone."

"Them alone."

"Right, them alone."

"You can't just commit murder? Murder me? Over this? I am a scientist. I am needed. What I work on is important to this planet. "

Iz has said nothing. He looks carefully at Dellums.

"Mr. Dellums, you must not exaggerate your own importance. To us, all of us, both of these women are exceedingly important. Their peace, their safety, their well-being is our concern. You entered Mr. Thorne’s home once uninvited, and put your hands on his wife. That alone to me justifies your elimination. You entered his home a second time with a gun. And you assaulted a most beloved and beautiful woman who is newly pregnant. You endangered her baby. This is unforgivable to me. To us." (Iz nods at Hasan.) "Your value as a scientist is of little importance or no importance to us. Whatever your contribution to climate science can no doubt be duplicated by others. Perhaps by some young man or woman eager for the opportunity. I myself favor a disposition for you in which we need have no further concern about you."

Hasan nods to Iz. Iz smiles and nods back. 

Terry looks at Hasan. "Hasan would you come with me for a moment."

Dino looks questioningly at Terry. "We will just step outside for a moment."

"Sure. Mr. Dellums isn't going anywhere."

"I need to use the bathroom.'

Dino laughs, "Nope sorry. Hold it - or well you have a tile floor shouldn't be too hard to clean up. You aren't the first prisoner of ours who has soiled himself. Doesn't bother me. Bother you Iz?

Iz frowns, "I don't care for the smell."

Dino, "Well yeah."

Terry and Hasan go out the front door, cross the street. Terry knocks on the van door. Jay comes out, they stand next to the van. Jay stands quietly.

"Ideas, Hasan?"

"The gun. Hitting Mckenzie. The ether. Index of lethality up a little high for me, Terry."

"What does McKenzie want?"

"She doesn't care as long as he stays far away from her and Alice."

"No real way to guarantee that though is there?"

" We could spend a little quality time with him. Illustrate our capabilities. Give him a choice. I hate having prisoners. Terry you know that. But we could spend a day with him . Maybe two days. "

"You think there were women other than Alice?" 

"I did. I thought it was a possibility. But I haven't found anything. We should go through this Bear Valley house again just to be sure, but it looks like it is mainly a fixation on Alice."

"Jay, Hasan, we have a place we can take him? A place we use, a place you and Gale use?"

"Yeah. We have a couple of places. One over at Lake Tahoe. West Wind Cove. Hunting lodge. Nice place. Global owns it. Well you own it. You and Dino. Secluded, up its own road. Good security. Thick log walls. 5 bedrooms. On the Nevada side. Little more flexibility on that side if any questions come up."

"How far is it?

"About a hundred miles, but it's winding back roads. Take us about 3 hours."

"You've been there before."

"Yeah."

"Okay. We'll take him there. Spend a little time with him. You good with that Hasan?"

Hasan nods. "I don't want him to ever be a threat to McKenzie again. Or Alice."

"Let's wrap him up. Bring him in the van. Jay you okay driving the van? Hasan you go with Jay. I'll drive your Honda. Dino and Iz can take the Toyota."

Hasan says, "Iz and I can take Dellums in the van. We can work together. " Hasan absently runs his hand over his arm where Iz cut him in Banff when they were fighting.

"Yeah? You two can go in the van together and no one gets punched or stabbed."

"Yeah Terry, we are good. We both love her. Different ways. Iz knows she is pregnant and knows I'm going to marry her. He'll just want to protect her. Same as I do. And we both hate what he did to her. "

"Okay. Let's wrap him up. Jay show me where this Tahoe place is. Then pull the van around back. Take the Cable Company sign off. Leave the van plain now. Get your bag. Let's do Dellums up. Tape his mouth. Hood. Bind his hands and feet. Put him on the floor of the van. Iz and Hasan will drive him in the van. The house has been searched once when the cameras were put in. Search the house again before you leave then take the Honda and meet us at lodge.”

“Sure Terry. “

Jay gets in the van. Terry and Hasan walk back across the street. 

"Hasan, ask Dino to come out."

Dino comes out. Terry explains to Dino the plan.

"Iz and Hasan? Together in the van with Dellums? Terry you are not good at this people management thing."

"As good as you, mate. Maybe a little better. Dino, Hasan says they are okay. They want the same thing. McKenzie's safety. Alice's safety. And Iz is going to be working with us. Iz and Hasan they are alike."

"They are nothing alike. Iz is your pet. And maybe you are his pet. I'm beginning to wonder. You keep him because you don't like termination actions and he doesn't mind doing them. "

"I like Iz and I like Hasan. I want them to get along. Hasan is the best operative we've got. "

"They can't get along. Iz is in love with McKenzie and Hasan isn't but he is marrying her. "

"Hasan loves her in his way. They have some deep bond."

"Like hell they do."

"Okay Dino you want to ride in the van with Hasan. Or Iz?

"Ah fuck I'll ride with you. Let them bond over McKenzie and her baby. I knew I should have brought the Porsche."

"Dino that Porsche is too memorable."

"We are standing the fuck out in the street. Walking directly out of his house where anyone can see us. Not exactly a covert operation. Admit it, Terry, the Porsche would be fun on the roads to Tahoe."

"It would." 


	23. Zephyr Cove

Terry is on his phone. "Alice I'll be back tomorrow or the next day. Up in the mountains. Yes we have guns. I'm glad they like your spaghetti. I knew you were going to feed them. Was it lunch or dinner? Both? Alice. Peanut butter and jelly lunch? Alice you are interfering in Global. And you know that makes Dino crazy. The pool table and the fridge there are not the same as serving them lunch. And dinner. I'll tell you about it when I get back. Alice my guys will leave in the morning. You’re safe now but keep the doors locked. I’ve got video surveillance. I can see the perimeter. Sweetheart, you can call me. No you can call me anytime. I'm with Hasan and Dino and Iz and Jay. No we have Dr. Dellums with us. He is okay. We just want to understand a little more about him. Be sure you’ll be safe in the future. We are eating fine. Don’t worry. Jay cooks. He's a good cook. Only reason we take him with us. No he's listening to me. Yeah. Okay Alice. Is Nick there? Okay good. Yeah. Me too." Terry hangs up.

Dino comes in. "Terry, what do you want to do with him? He needs a shower and a change of clothes."

Terry looks around, "Dino how long have we had this place. It's pretty nice. I'd like to show it to Alice. Maybe spend some time up here."

Dino looks around. "I dunno. Couple of years. Mike Gale got it for us. I think the guys in the San Francisco office use it some. Hey Hassan you been up here?"

"No, I’d heard about it. Jay's been up here with my sister and Chatty. I’d like to bring McKenzie up now that I see it.”

Jay comes in. "Look I don't mind cooking for us, but I don't like the babysitting detail. Iz and Hasan should do the babysitting."

"Okay, what's he doing?"

"Lying on the floor moaning under the tape under the hood. And he smells bad."

"Well bring him down and take him out on the porch. Get him in a chair. Put something over the chair. Plastic bags, a shower curtain. We'll talk to him. Close the drapes out there. Neighbors might get curious if they see a guy tied to a chair in a hood."

Jay says, "No close neighbors."

Terry says, "Close the drapes."

Iz stands up. "I'll close the drapes then I'll get him."

Hasan stands also. "I'll help with him. You want us to clean him up."

Terry looks at Jay. "You think he is likely to try something. Break a bathroom mirror, swing the back of the toilet?"

Jay shrugs, "I think the guy wants to get back to geology and climate and is sorry he ever met Alice. I think he'll do whatever you want to get back to his life."

Terry says, "If we clean him up, he'll be refreshed. Might get too optimistic. Leave him as he is. Just bring him down. Keep the hood on til he gets down here."

*

Ward Dellums is sitting in a chair in a hood, hands tied behind him, sitting in the center of the wide porch that covers the back of the cabin. Terry Dino Hasan and Iz are sitting in chairs across from him. Jay is standing behind him and slightly to his left. Jay has a sidearm. The drapes are closed around the porch. There are several lamps on but the room is dim. Jay takes Dellums' hood off. Then the tape off his mouth. Dellums rubs his mouth, then begins crying. "Please. Don't do this to me. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for the pictures. I'm sorry I came to your house. It was a mistake. An error. Poor judgement. Alice was a phantasy. Just a phantasy. I let it go too far. I thought she was the perfect woman. Would be a perfect wife. I have been foolish. I was reckless. I was wrong. Please I have work I need to get back to. This is outside of my world. Hoods and tape. Being tied to a chair. I just want to go back to my life the way it was. Before I knew people like you really existed. "

"Dr. Dellums, you came into my house with a gun. You frightened my wife. Escaping from you put her in the hospital. You injured the woman with her. You could have killed them."

"I wouldn’t have hurt Alice. And I told you the gun wasn't loaded."

Dino stands, walks toward Dellums. Dellums cringes. "You threatened a woman my friend here loves. A woman he will do anything to protect. And you caused a head injury in a pregnant woman. And used ether which could cause birth defects."

"It was a mistake. I made a mistake. One dose of ether won't cause birth defects."

Dino says, "You want to fuckin’ debate ether effects with us?"

"No I just know about chemicals. I'm sorry. What can I do? I have money. I can pay you."

Terry shakes his head."We aren't interested in your money."

Dino puts his hand on Terry's arm. "Wait Terry. How much would you pay us to let you go?"

Dellums pauses, "$100,000."

Dino shakes his head. "There were medical bills. Hypothermia treatment for Alice, neurological scans, fetal monitoring for the other woman. I don't think $100,000 would be enough. "

Dellums says, "More? I could get more. $250,000.”

Dino says, "Could use it as a college fund for the baby.Still not really enough."

"I could get a second on my house. $500,000. Would that be enough?"

Terry frowns at Dino. "We don't want his money. We want him to forget about Alice. No more pictures of Alice. No more seeking her out. No more closet collages. No more threatening her or anyone else with guns. Where'd you get the gun?"

"One of my students. Smart kid, knew he was from the barrio. I asked him if he knew where I could get a gun. He said he'd get one for me. Said it was untraceable. Had it a couple of years. I've been threatened by people. Probably fossil fuel people. I am bad for their bottom line. Better for them if I was shut-up."

"Where is the gun now? We haven't found it in either of your places."

"You did something to my car. So I had to take an Uber home. I wiped my finger prints off it and left it under the passenger seat on the floor of the Uber driver's car."

Terry says, "We'd like to untie you. Let you clean-up. Get you something to eat. And we'd like to let you get back to your work."

"Yes please. Let me clean up. I work in the field, I'm used to going days with out cleaning up, without a shower, this is different.What you have done to me it’s different. It’s humiliating. "

"Anyone object to Dr. Dellums cleaning-up?"

Dino says, "I think we should take the fucking money."


	24. Chapter 24

Dellums has gone upstairs with Iz and Hasan. Dino Terry and Jay are in the kitchen. They hear a shower running.

"Climate guys make pretty good money, Terry. He offered us $500,000."

"Dino, he'd have to take out a second on his house. Wonder if he really is up for a Nobel."

"How can his thinking have been so off. Acting like that with Alice."

Hasan comes in the kitchen. "Started his obsession with her in his teens, early twenties. Maybe it got stuck there."

"Hey Hasan you think this guy might be up for a Nobel?"

"Yeah, he might. I've read about him. He might be."

"Hasan, what disposition do you favor?"

"What? You mean do I favor scolding him and promising to do him grave bodily harm, even do him in, if there is any more trouble and let him go? "

"Yeah more or less."

"Yeah, I favor that."

"You and McKenzie be okay with that?"

"Yeah."

"How about Alice, Terry. She be okay with that."

"Yeah Dino that's what she says she wants."

Iz comes in with Dellums. Dellums is in sweats. Wet hair. Bare feet. Hands in plastic ties behind him.

"Yeah, Iz release his hands."

Iz goes to the counter, takes the kitchen shears and cuts the plastic ties on Dellums wrists. 

"Jay is our cook Dr. Dellums and he is a good cook. Taught by French chef in London. He made ratatouille for tonight. Sit down. There is a Cesar salad and wine."

Dellums sits down at the table. Hasan hands him a napkin and silverware. Jay serves him a plate of ratatouille. Puts a large wooden salad bowl near him on the table, gets him a wine glass and pushes a bottle of chianti toward the glass.

"Help yourself."

"Are you going to let me go?"

"We are thinking about it. About letting you go. Trying to figure out if we can do that safely for everyone concerned. "


	25. Chapter 25

"Would it help if I said I was sorry to Alice?"

“We could see if Alice would like that. More likely she just wants you to disappear.”

Iz is leaning against one of the kitchen counters. “Perhaps a letter would be preferable. A letter acknowledging your fascination and the unfortunate consequences of that fascination.”

Dino says, “Fuck fascination man, he was obsessed, he stalked her.”

Dellums shakes his head. Swallows a mouthful of ratatouille. “I didn’t. I didn’t stalk her. I took pictures of her. She’s beautiful. She photographs well. I started when we were in college. She let me then. I wanted to photograph her nude. She said no. I thought I could talk her into it. I never got the chance. To talk her into it. She started going out with Peter, picked him over me but I kept photographing her. I just never stopped. “

Hasan says, ”So she never posed for you nude, but you added that in anyway in the collage with pictures of women who looked like her.”

Dellums says nothing.

“Here’s what we want. We want you to go back to your life and end all this with Alice. If you need a closet pin-up pick someone else.”

Hasan says, “A film star.”

Iz says, “A singer.”

Dino adds, “One of your fuckin’ students.”

Terry sighs, “Not a student.”

“I can let Alice go. Forget her. I will. I practically already have.”

“We can end your life.”

“We can kill you 9 different ways and no one would ever suspect. It would look like an accident or natural causes.”

”I believe you.”

“We could also use techniques on you that would be highly unpleasant. For us as well as you. You because you could be in terrible unrelenting pain. Us, because such things are distasteful to us. Well to most of us.”

Dino says, “They are distasteful to me. I just can stomach them. They work. Fuck it.”

“Do you understand these enhanced techniques can be used not just for information but to obtain agreement, compliance.”

“No please. I’ll forget about Alice. I’ll apologize to her. To the other woman, the one I hurt. I’ll apologize to her as well.”

Dino says, “I’m still thinking college fund, maybe guarantee a scholarship or admittance to MIT. He could arrange it.”

Dellums, “I’ll do that. A college fund. MIT admittance or scholarship might be difficult to guarantee, we are talking 18 years from now.”

”Man, we let you go you’ll probably have two Nobels by then. MIT will listen to you.”

Hasan says, “No MIT.”

Iz asks, “What is this M I T?”

Hasan smiles, “A school. A college. A university. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Very good in mathematics and technology. Very prestigious. Hard to get into.”

Iz says, “Why no?”

Hasan laughs, “Imagine McKenzie’s child won’t need help getting into a university. And MIT is a math school. Baby willgrow up to be a poet.”

Terry says, ”Okay, two letters of apology, one to the woman you hit on the head, one to Alice, include a sentence or two on the nudes, two college funds $50,000 each. One for the woman’s baby and one for the cousin of that baby.”

Jay laughs, “We don’t need it. Give it all to one baby.” 

Hasan says, “Okay. But $50,000 college fund is fine.” 

“Fully funded by the end of this year.”

Dellums pours more Chianti. Drinks a long drink. “You’ll let me go? If I agree to these things?”

”Looks like we might find a mutually agreeable arrangement that would allow you to go back to your life.”

Iz says, ”Sans Alice and sans pictures of Alice.”

”Yeah, I got it. No pictures of Alice.”

Then Terry sits down at the table. Looks directly at Dellums. “ Just one more thing. Why did you have the ether, mate?”


	26. Ether

"The ether. It's a long story."  
Terry says, "Give us the short version."  
Dino sits down at the table.  
Jay is leaning against the counter. He still has a sidearm. Iz is standing behind Terry. Hasan is sitting on the counter near Jay.  
Dellums says, "When I was at MIT I spent a semester along the border of Poland and Slovakia. I was there to study some mountains. Unique, beautiful. It was an opportunity to distinguish myself. I was young. In the village there, ether was commonly used - we would say recreationally. Inhaled, drunk with water, honey, cinnamon added. The effects are similar to alcohol only stronger. I used it there with locals. And with other students. I enjoyed it. Alcohol is a weak substitute. Labs have it. And it can be used to start cars. It isn't a drug of abuse in the US, there are so many other options. But I liked it. It seemed to suit me. It was easy to get when I came back. There were ways I could account for having it. So I kept using it. I was disaplined, I had work to do. But I could use and recover from it. Could go months without it. Could take a week-end, a long weekend and use.  
Iz says, "Sweet oil of vitriol."  
Dino says, " What?  
Hasan says, "The 16th century name for ether. Said to have been abused by the Borgias."  
Terry asks, "Did you use with Peter?"  
Dellums, "A few times. Peter was a straight arrow guy. He was okay with alcohol. Didn’t really approve of drug use. Peter never even got drunk. Always used in moderation. Peter never appreciated the pleasure of altered states "  
Terry looks "Did you use it in your Alice closet."  
“No.”  
Dino says, “Truth man, or we just kill you.”  
Dellums fidgets. Licks his lips.  
“No.”  
Jay nudges him with his Sig Sauer.   
Terry says, “You have a choice.”  
They all look at Dellums.  
"Yes. Yes. Okay. It was part of it."  
"You used other times too?"  
Hasan is looking at his phone. He reads "The effects of ether intoxication are similar to those of alcohol intoxication, but more potent. Also, the user may experience distorted thinking, euphoria, and visual/auditory hallucinations at higher doses."  
“Yeah mild euphoria. That’s what I like. Okay. Have been using it more the last few months. I can handle it. Thinking about Alice. Have had a lot more pressure lately at work. Stanford is courting me. Wants to hire me. Not sure I can measure up to what they want. Have to leave my job at USGS, leave my security. Maybe should just stay there. Government jobs, you know, are secure. But Stanford is a big opportunity.  
Terry looks at Dellums. "Guess we have another condition to add, mate. You give-up the ether."  
"No. It's not a problem. Look it is my way of winding down. I can manage it. "  
"You used it on a pregnant woman. "  
"It didn't hurt her. It wouldn't hurt her. I just put her to sleep."  
"You hurt her. You hit her on the head."  
"Dr. Dellums had you used ether before you came to my house?”  
"No.  
Jay presses the gun against Dellums neck.  
“Yes."  
"The first time you came to my house?"  
"Yeah. Okay. I was drinking in the car. But I inhaled some ether."  
"How about the second time?"  
“No.”  
Dino gets up. Slaps Dellums. Hard. Knocks him out of the chair. Kicks him lying on the floor.  
“Fuck it man. Tie him up. Put the hood back on him. Drag him out of here. We can’t deal with this motherfucker. I told you Terry. We should just do him.”  
From the floor, Dellums looks up. “Okay. Okay. Yeah I’d been using. The second time had been using all afternoon. All day. Was on a binge. "  
Hasan repeats, "Distorted thinking, euphoria, delusions, visual/auditory hallucinations at higher doses."  
"Yeah. Okay. I thought Alice wanted me. Needed me. My thinking was a little distorted.”  
Dino says, “Put him back in the chair. Tie his hands.”  
Terry looks at Dellums. “You brought ether into my house. You came into my house with a gun, assaulted a pregnant woman. Scared Alice my wife so much she climbed out a window and ran for her life. No more ether man."  
Jay says, "There are other things to use, man, to relax."  
Dellums shakes his head, "Tried them all. Nothing like it for me."  
Terry smiles, "Everything has a price tag, mate."  
Dino shakes his head.”Deals off the table man. No cooperation.”  
Dellums starts to cry. "No I’ll do what you want. All of it. Anything. I’ll write two letters of apology, I’ll find another closet pin-up..”  
Terry says , "Not a student."  
Dellums, “Yeah okay not a student. And I’ll arrange a college fund of $50,000 for the woman's baby and I’ll give up ether. And then you become a bad memory right?This all goes away, this becomes something loathsome in the rear view mirror of my life? I never hear from you again?”  
Dino sits back down. Gives Dellums a smile. "Loathsome? This? Us? Come on, man. We are talking about letting you live. You could go to prison for 20 years what you did. A maximum security prison. We are offering you a deal. A good deal. Be polite to us. We are probably the best fuckin' thing that ever happened to you. We are probably saving your career. We are giving you a chance at that Nobel."


	27. Negotiation

Terry says, “Iz, Hasan take him back upstairs. Untie his hands. Let him sleep in the bed. But let’s have someone with him. Any threat at all Dr. Dellums, you make my guys uncomfortable at all and...”  
Dellums interrupts,“I’m not a threat.”  
“Any threat at all, tie him, tape his mouth, put the hood back on, put him on the floor.”  
“No we have a deal. I won’t be a problem. Get me paper, I’ll write the letters. I’ll do it now.”  
Terry continues,“Go rest Dr. Dellums. We need some time to discuss what happens next.”  
Hasan and Iz take Dellums out.  
Jay starts cleaning up.  
“You cooked man, Dino and I will clean up. Take a break."  
“Okay if I go for a run?”  
Terry nods.  
Jay leaves.  
“So Dino. You wash, I’ll dry.“  
"I'll dry." Dino says, “Look there is one thing I don’t like. He hit McKenzie on the head. With that marble thing. He could have killed her. I don’t think he would have cared one way or the other. Maybe it was the ether. Never tried ether myself. But depraved indifference man.”  
They continue with dishes. Terry washing. Dino drying, putting things away.  
Dino says, "This sucks. I'm having a dishwasher put in."  
"Come on Dino. It's kind of relaxing."  
"Yeah, cause you are washing. Washing is relaxing."  
Terry steps back from the sink. "You can wash, I'll dry."  
"Nah. I already started with drying. Finish what I started. "  
"Terry you think we can we trust him to keep an agreement?"  
“He’s under pressure, the Stanford job opportunity. He has no one to talk it over with. Seems like Peter was his only friend. Not surprising, he’d get more fixated on Alice. Delusional even, with the help of the ether. Had that closet a long time. Alice would have told us if he’d been a real problem before, if he’d come on to her before. “  
“What about what he did to McKenzie?”  
“Failure of empathy.”  
“Yeah. She was nothing.”  
“Dino, I’m inclined to let the guy go. Maybe get a written confession then have him read it on camera. That is probably enough to keep him in line. We could ruin his life with the tape any time.”  
“Damnit Terry, what are we North Korea? Isis? Want Jay and Hasan to stand by him in ski masks with swords?”  
“Nice for the production values.”  
“And what about the ether man?”  
“He managed the ether up til now.”  
“He had Peter. And he accepted that Alice was married to Peter, kept things in check.”  
“So now he will have us. We'll be his friends."  
"I don't want to be his fucking friend."  
"No reason to up our body count Dino if we can avoid it. And you never know he could be useful to us someway."  
“How about a little one of Hasan’s fancy shots between his toes and he dies of natural causes in his bed. Climate scientist found dead. News at eleven.”  
“No fun in that. Hasan is willing to sign off on this deal. “  
“Is Iz? Jay? ”  
“If I do, and you do and Hasan does, Iz will agree. Jay? He'll go with what Hasan wants. They're close. ”  
“We befriend Dellums. We check on him regularly. Maybe take him out for a beer once in awhile. We tell him he can call us anytime. We hold his hand a little."  
"And his obsession with your wife?"  
"He must accept that Alice is married to me and is going to stay that way. Has to let her go. He says he can. Says he will.”  
"Some fucking version of the Stockholm syndrome, Terry? Is that what you are thinking. “  
"Yeah. I guess it is.”  
"You are taking a risk."  
"Yeah kind of like we did with Iz."  
"You liked Iz. Iz, man, he’s one of a kind. Nobody has skills like Iz. He impressed all of us. We all liked him. None of us like this guy."  
"Peter liked him."  
“Maybe he didn’t. Maybe he just felt sorry for him.”  
You going to take up all Peter’s charity cases, Terry.”  
“Not sure. Don’t know of any others right now. And this guy is hardly a charity case.”  
“You know what the fuck I mean. He’s a social charity case.“  
Terry goes up the stairs to the room with Dellums in it.  
Dellums is lying on the bed.  
Hasan is in a chair, looking at his phone.  
Iz comes in drying his hands.  
Dellums sits up.  
"Dr. Dellums, I need to meet with everyone here. To see if we are all in agreement. To do that we need to leave you alone. This room is not a cell. We can sedate you, tie you again. I would like to just leave you here to rest."  
"No you can leave me here. I won’t do anything. I’ll just stay here til you come for me."  
Dino comes up. Stands in the doorway.  
Dino shakes his head. “I’m not good with it.”  
“No?”  
Dino points at Dellums. “I want him tied, mouth taped, hood on, want him on the floor. If he starts flopping around we can hear him.”  
"Dr. Dellums I almost never go against what my partner says. And he wants you restrained."  
Iz looks at Dino. “You don’t trust Dr. Dellums. But you trust me.”  
Dino looks at Iz. “As much as I trust anyone. Yeah.”  
“He will behave. He is optimistic about this arrangement you have proposed. He knows you will honor it. He is frightened of us. He knows we are capable of killing him at any time and there would be no consequence for us. No remorse. He has begun to want to please us.  
Dellums says, “You can leave me here. Alone. I’ll stay here til one of you comes for me."  
Terry says, “I’m okay with it.”  
Dino shrugs. “Okay.”  
Hasan nods.  
Iz says, "Let’s go downstairs."  
Terry looks at Dellums. "We are going downstairs now. We will talk for awhile. Then one of us will come back up. If we all agree you will be home by tomorrow evening."  
“Home? I can go home tomorrow?"  
“Most likely. Unless there is some change. Yes tomorrow.”  
“Could I have something to read? Tonight. I don’t actually sleep much. Anything. Or paper and pen. I could begin the letters. I’d like to get them done.”  
Terry looks at Hasan. “There are books in the living room.”  
Iz offers. “Allow me to escort Dr. Dellums to the living room. He can select a book. There is paper in the desk there. Pens also. I will accompany him there then back to his room. I will see to him. “  
“Okay. When Iz has settled Dr. Dellums, we’ll meet in the living room. “ Terry looks at his watch. "Meet 2200 (twenty two hundred.)

*

They are all in the living room. Dellums is upstairs. The room has a rock fireplace that covers the back wall. There are over-stuffed chairs and a couch. Tables by the chairs. It’s a comfortable room. Mountain cabin feel. Hunting lodge feel. There are no animal heads. Some one has built a fire.  
Dino looks around. "Reminds me of your beach house Terry."  
"Yeah has that vib."  
“You are buying a new boat Terry?” Iz asks.  
“Yeah in the process. It's being built in Sweden.”  
“You will sail across the Atlantic, thru the canal again?”  
“That is my plan.”  
“I would welcome an invitation to sail through the canal. I have never been. ”  
“Consider yourself invited. Everyone should see it. Even Dino was impressed.”  
“Yeah, I was. I didn’t think I would be, wanted to just fly over it. Thought that would be enough. Glad they talked me into it. “  
Iz says, “What about Alice?”  
“You mean with the canal? She did fine.”  
“Alice and I were impressed. Man, you see that water rising and those Star Wars gates. It’s impressive. Yeah Iz. It’s worth it. Terry’s been through it what 4 times, 5? “  
“Iz, I promise you a trip on my boat through the canal. Maybe not this time with the new boat, but I’ll take you through. Anyone else?“  
“Sure, I’d like to see it.” Hasan says.  
Jay says “Me too. I’d like Chatty to see it. Probably better to wait til she’s a little older.”  
“Sure, You first Iz. Well get you all through.”  
Dino laughs. “Sir Terry’s Panama Canal Tours. A subsidiary of Global.”  
Dino says, “Okay. I like this cabin but I’m tired of Dr. Dellums. What are we going to do with him? Hasan, would you call McKenzie and tell her the proposal. Find out if she is okay with it.”  
Hasan nods gets up leaves the room. Has his cell phone out.  
Dino looks at Terry. “Alice okay with it?”  
“Says she is.”  
“Iz? Jay?”  
Iz says, “I prefer his death. I have much anger over his hurting McKenzie. And Alice. The ether angers me. But would of course bow to the wishes of Alice and Mary-Margaret.”  
“You are calling McKenzie, Mary-Margeret now?”  
“Yes Dino, it is a most lovely name. A pleasure to say it.”  
Jay says, “I’m good with whatever Hasan wants.”  
Terry gets up, refills his gin. Hold up the bottle of Laphroaig. Dino nods. Terry walks over to him, refills his glass. Looks at Iz, points to his glass. Iz shakes his head.  
Terry puts the bottle back.  
“Your new boat, Terry, this is a bigger boat?”  
“A little smaller. More bells and whistles. Want to keep sailing, want to sail with Alice, putting things in to make her comfortable.”  
“Yeah he wants her languid.”  
Dino smirks, “Hey, Iz, how do you make a girl languid? Hear you are good at that.”  
Iz laughs. “It helps to have a villa above the Mediterranean. Plenty of wine. A masseuse who will come in the afternoons. It helps to pick a girl who wants to be made languid.”  
Jay looks at them. ”What are we talking about?”  
“Iz took Jo to his place in Malta and made her languid and we want to know how to do it. Terry likes the idea of a languid Alice. “  
“I already make her languid.”  
“Terry does not need my help. Perhaps, you need my advice Dino? “  
“Don't need a massage to make my women languid, Iz. Or a villa above the Mediterranean. After a night with me, they are languid. ”  
“But Dino, a woman who is already languid. Languid before you begin your lovemaking, languid before you touch her, so relaxed and warm beneath you hands, you must try this.  
“I leave them languid, they don't need to start that way.”  
Jay shakes his head. "Languid."  
Hasan comes in the room.  
“McKenzie wants to be on speaker. Wants Terry and Dino and Iz to hear.”  
Terry nods.  
“Go ahead McKenzie.”  
“Okay, Iz I know you want to kill him. “  
Iz laughs, “It is so.”  
“But Terry, I like the deal you put together. College fund. Goes in the making-amends-column. I like the apology, works as a confession. I want the written one, but I do want him to read it in front of the camera. He'll know you, we, could ruin his life anytime with the recording. I don’t care if he gives up ether or not. But I’ll go along with whatever Alice wants. And Terry I want to say sorry for ...  
Terry interrupts her. “Save it. We will analyze what happened at my house later. Just need to know what you want, what you are comfortable with, your disposition preferences .”  
McKenzie says, “I like the deal. Hasan says you figured it out. It's good Terry. You’re good. I knew you were. I’m okay with it. ”  
Hasan leaves the room talking to McKenzie off speaker.  
Dino looks at Terry. “You gonna call Alice?”  
“Later.”  
Hasan walks back in.Looks at Terry.  
"Parliament?"  
Terry nods to Dino. "Dino?"  
“Yeah. $50,000 college fund. A letter on camera. Stay away from Alice. No more Alice pictures. Ambivalent on prohibition of ether. Might be a policing problem.”  
“Hasan?”  
“Okay with me, okay with McKenzie.”  
“Iz?”  
“Okay. But I will kill him if he fails in any way in this agreement he makes.”  
“Jay?”  
“Not sure I should have a say, but I agree with Hasan. And Iz.”  
Terry says,"I'm good with it. Ether is too much of a policing problem. “Okay. Tell him now? Or wait til tomorrow?”  
Hasan says, “Now.”


	28. Dellum’s Disposition

The door to Dellums room is partially closed. Terry knocks.  
"Come in."  
They all file in. Terry, Dino, Iz, Jay, Hasan. Stand around the room.  
Dellums sits up on the edge of his bed. Feet on the floor. Looks at Terry.  
"So have you have decided my fate?"  
Dino frowns."You being a wise guy Dellums? Can't resist that?"  
Terry looks at Dino. "Dr. Dellums is an important man. Powerful in his circles. It is not easy for him be in this situation."  
"Doubt that it is easy for anyone to be in this situation."  
Iz laughs. "It is an art."  
Hasan smiles. "An art.”  
Dino nods to Iz. "Iz is an artist at it. I imagine Hasan is too."  
Dellums looks from one to the other. "Who are you? "  
Terry gestures to Dino. "Allow me to introduce us. Dino, Dino Dean, once Colonel Dean. Dino and I own a security firm, Global Risk Management and Protection. Hasan Meghwar (Hasan bows) and Jay Shaw (Jay waves) work for us. Iz Darwaza is a private contractor. Dino was in Delta Force. I was in Her Majesty's Special Air Services. Then we worked in private K & R for awhile. "  
Dellums asks, "What's K & R. "  
Dino says, "K&R? Kidnapping and ransom."  
"You are scary guys. Glad to have introductions. Does this mean we have a deal."  
Terry says, "Let me review it first. You write letters of apology to Alice and the woman you hurt. Her name is Mary-Margaret McKenzie. She is former FBI. She now works for me and Dino. And she is engaged to be married to Mr. Meghwar. And it is his baby she is carrying."  
"Mr. Darwaza is also very fond of her."  
Dellums looks from one to the other. Nods grimly, slowly. "I see."  
Terry begins again." You write the letters, you read them on camera, you put $50,000 in a college fund for Hasan and Mary-Margaret's baby. We will give you one year to complete funding that account. No more pictures of Alice. No more Alice collages. We hold the recordings. If you do not honor your agreement, we will use the recordings."

"What about the ether?"

"You have managed your ether until this incident. We will leave it to you. It is too hard to police. We don't want to have to supervise that. "  
"That's it?"  
Dino says, "We could waterboard you if you'd like. An electrode on your genitals. "  
Iz winks at Dino, "Perhaps you would like a fingernail removed Dr. Dellums."  
"You guys aren't funny."  
Dino says, "Come on man, for ex-special forces, we are pretty funny."  
Hasan says, "I'm not ex-special forces."  
Dino, "No you were a fucking spy."  
Hasan laughs.  
Terry continues, "We want you to write the letters and read them on camera before we leave here. As soon as that is finished, we will drive you back to Bear Valley. "  
"That's it?"  
"That's it. Well one of us will be stopping by to see you every month or so. To be sure you are still okay with the arrangement. And to see if we can be of any help to you. "  
"Help to me?"  
"We have our uses. If you are threatened again instead of getting a gun, now you can let us know. That is the sort of thing we are good at taking care of. Risk Management and Protection.  
"You'd help me?"  
Terry nods. "If you need us, we will help you."  
Dino shrugs. "How Terry does things. Might charge you though."  
Iz says, "Terry knows when you pull a drowning man from the river, he is yours forever."  
Terry puts his hand on Iz's shoulder. They exchange a look. Smile.  
"So Dr. Dellums how would you like to do this?”  
“I'll get to work on the letters. I could finish them by morning. Read them then. I would like to go back to Bear Valley in the afternoon.”  
Dino says, "Works for us."  
Terry says. "Any other questions?"  
"No no thanks. I mean really thanks. "  
Terry nods. They file out. Begin going down the stairs.  
Iz looks at Terry, "Yours forever."  
Dino says, "He was wasted in SAS. Could have been Prime Minister. Or the Dali Lama.  
Terry laughs. "Dali Lama. Sure."  
"Except you do like a good fight in a bar."  
Terry shakes his head. "Getting a little long in the tooth for bar brawls. But they are fun."  
Dino laughs, "Nobody enjoys a black eye more than Terry."


	29. Letter to Alice

Dellums is sitting, positioned in front of Hasan's lap top.

Hasan is behind it.

"Looks good man. You can start."

Dino, Terry, Iz and Jay are sitting in various chairs across from Dellums.

Dellums clears his throat. Looks down at a paper covered with cursive writing.

"Eh this letter is to um Alice um Thorne. It's a an apology. To Alice.

Um Dear Alice,

Eh before I start I want you to know that the men here with me have read this and they have said it is okay for me to read what I have written to you.

I came uninvited to your house on Dec 31 with the intention of talking to you, of making you talk to me. I believed that you would marry me if anything happened to Peter and I needed to talk to you about that but people around you made me leave. So this time I brought a gun, it wasn’t to hurt you, it was just if I had to scare people who wouldn’t let you talk to me. I want you to know the gun wasn’t loaded. I did hold it on you when I was incapacitating the woman with you. I didn’t mean to hurt her. I just couldn’t let her stop me from talking to you. I know you climbed out a window to get away from me. They told me you went down the hill and swam to a neighbors and became hypothermic and went to the hospital. I never meant for that to happen.I never meant to endanger you.

I have been obsessed with you since you and I and Peter were at University of Colorado. You were going out with me first. Then Peter took you away. You let him take you away. I accepted it, I liked Peter. He was the best friend I ever had. But after you, I never found anyone else. No one. Before Peter, you let me take pictures of you. And I hated giving that up. I could look at the pictures when I wasn't with you and feel close to you. Before Peter came, I asked you if I could take pictures of you nude. You said no, but I thought eventually I could talk you into it. Then Peter came. So that never happened. But I never stopped thinking about it.

But after you went with Peter, I just kept on taking pictures of you. You never knew. Lots of pictures. Lots of places. Pictures you didn't know about. When I visited you and Peter, I would stay an extra day or two and follow you. And take the pictures. I have thousands of pictures of you. It was like still being with you in a way. 

I began a collage of the pictures. I would add to it year after year. You have it now. I still wondered what you would look like nude, so I added nude pictures of women who looked like you to the collage. I should not have done it. I apologize. I should have found someone and married and had some kids. But I was always so busy with my work. And it seemed like a lot of trouble to go out and date. And it was easy to just look at the pictures of you. I'm not justifying it. I am explaining what I did. 

I also have to tell you I have been using ether. I have used it for years. I started using it when I was at MIT. My third semester there when I went to Poland. The locals used it and I started using it with them. I just kept on using it. Peter knew. He didn't approve, but he accepted it. After Peter died, I missed him. I started using more ether. 

The two times I came to your house, I had been using ether. I though you would be waiting for me. I thought that if it hadn't been for Peter you would have married me. The ether made it easy to believe those things. It distorts things. 

I am glad Ms. McKenzie is all right. I am going to set up a college fund of $100,00 for her baby. Her and Mr. Meghwar's baby.

Hasan says, "Stop." He pauses the recording. 

" $50,000 is what we agreed on."

" I don't' think it is enough for what I did. You could probably sue me and be awarded more than that. "

"$50,000 is fine." 

Hasan starts the recording again.

" Alice, Hasan Meghwar and I are arguing about the amount of the college fund for the baby but we can settle that off camera. 

I know people have worried birth defects from the ether. But the dose Ms. McKenzie got will not cause birth defects. You may have a low opinion of me now, Alice, but you know I am a good chemist. You can trust what I say about the ether. There won't be birth defects from the ether. 

Terry Thorne told me there are some pictures in my collage that you don't have from Africa when you were pregnant with Mali. And that you wanted those. Maybe some small good will come out of what I have done. I can send you all the pictures I took of you in Africa. I have offered to destroy all the pictures of you. Or I can send them all to you. I will do whatever you ask with the pictures. 

Peter never had any idea about the pictures, about my obsession with you. Or maybe he did have some idea how I felt, but he just pretended it was a joke.

I am sorry. Alice. I will stop. I don't deserve to be forgiven, but I still hope someday you will forgive me. Hasan Meghwar said I should see a therapist. 

I have to write a letter to Ms. McKenzie also. 

So in closing, I take responsibility for what I have done. I am remorseful. You will not hear from me again unless you wish to. And I will not photograph you in the future.

Dellums looks off camera. He asks, "Okay?" 

A voice off camera says. "Okay."

"Take a break mate."

Yeah for just a few minutes. Then I want to read the other letter.

"Fine. 


	30. Letter to Mary-Margaret  McKenzie

They have regrouped in the living room. The arrangement is the same: Dellums facing Hasan, Hasan with the computer. Terry, Dino, Jay and Iz in arm chairs facing Dellums. Jay still has a sidearm.

  
“Looks good man. Start.”

First I want to say I have written the letter I will read in a moment at the request of some men whom you know but I have not been coerced into writing it. The men are sitting in front of me right now. They have read the letter and approve of its contents. They will be listening while I read it. Though this letter is at their request, I want you to know I welcome this opportunity to express to you my regret for my actions on Dec 31

Dellums looks down at the paper in front of him, clears his throat and begins.

Dear Ms. McKenzie,

You don’t know me, but I hit you on the head with a marble finial and then I forced you to inhale ether on Dec 31st. I was lying in wait I believe is the legal term for Alice that day. My intention was to take Alice away, I did not intend to harm you or anyone else. My focus that day was Alice.

I came into the house through the kitchen door. It was locked but I broke the glass in the door and reached through and unlocked it and let myself in. I brought a gun and ether to use if Alice resisted leaving with me. I expected Alice to be alone. When the two of you came up, I heard your voices and that is when I got the finial . When you came in, I was hidden behind the door and I immediately hit you on the head. You fell but you were not completely unconscious. I brought ether to use on Alice if she resisted leaving with me. But I used it instead to make you and keep you unconscious. While I covered your mouth and nose with the cloth with the ether, I held the gun on Alice so she wouldn’t try to help you. The gun was only to scare her. It wasn’t loaded.

I use ether recreationally and have for many years. I was introduced to it in the Sailesian region of Poland when I was in college. I was under the influence of ether at the time I assaulted you. I had been drinking it and inhaling it for many hours before I came to Alice’s house. Ether can cause delusions as you are probably aware. After Peter died, I was certain that Alice would marry me, even wanted to marry me. I had been obsessed with Alice since college, but it was a benign obsession until Peter died. Peter’s death and the ether turned the obsession into the delusion that Alice was being kept from me and that I had to use force to stop people from keeping Alice and me apart. That day I judged you were nothing more than an obstacle to Alice, you were just one of the people keeping Alice from me. In my delusional state, I thought anything I did to bring Alice and I together was justified. I gave no thought at all to your well being. 

I am told you are in the early stages of a pregnancy. I of course did not know that when I hit you. I am sorry to say it wouldn’t have made any difference if I had known. Under the influence of the ether, and at the mercy of my delusions about Alice, my only focus was to remove any obstacle to Alice. 

That small amount of ether I gave you will not cause birth defects in your baby. I understand you have been told it could. That is untrue. I am a geologist, but I know a considerable amount about chemistry. And in particular I know quite a lot about ether. I assure you there is no danger to your baby from the dose of ether I gave you. If there are birth defects in your baby they will have not been caused by the ether I gave you.

But what I did to you could have caused a miscarriage. Or killed you. I am relieved that it did not.  
  
As a way of making reparation for what I did to you and having endangered your unborn child, I have agreed to start a collage fund for your child. I will put $100,000 in this fund. Your fiancée has told me that only half of that amount is necessary. He is mistaken, that amount is barely enough.

I know you were taken to the hospital and that my hitting you caused a concussion. I understand that your insurance will take care of the costs. If you have any out of pocket medical costs, I will pay them.

I am deeply sorry for what I did to you. I regret it. I am remorseful.

Sincerely,

Ward Alfred Dellums, Ph.D.

Dellums looks up. 

“Okay.” Hasan says. “That’s a wrap, gentlemen.”

Terry looks at his watch. “It’s 1300 hours. It’s three hours back to Bear Valley. We have the van and two cars. I doubt Dr. Dellums has any interest in returning the way he came.”

“I’ve traveled rough before, but tied up with a hood lying on the floor of a drafty van is the worst trip I ever made.”

”Nice easy car ride back for you mate.”  
  
Jay says, “We are starting to clear out the room for the new baby. I could use the van to get rid of some things. I could drive it back and use it for a few days. If that’s okay. Hasan can drive my Honda back.”

Dino nods, “Sure. Fine with me. Terry?”

”Fine mate. Hasan and I will drive Dr. Dellums back to Bear Valley in your Honda. Iz, how about you and Dino take the Toyota and just go on back to the Bay Area. Meet at my place tomorrow. Okay with you Iz?”

Nods of general agreement.   
  
Jay says, “I’ll clean up. Lock up.”

Terry nods. Dino gives Jay a thumbs up.   
  



	31. Hasan and Terry drive Ward Dellums Back

Hasan is driving. Terry is up front in the passenger seat. Dellums is in back.

“Mind if I ask you a question?”

“Go ahead.”

“Okay to call you, Terry.”

“Sure, mate.”

“Nicky said you were the one who rescued his dad. That night on the deck at your party. You rescued Peter?”

“Me and Dino went in. With some ex-special forces. In a helicopter. The talks for ransom broke down. Peter had tried to escape. Only way to get him out.”

“He told me. You face was painted green. You had guns. Something happened to your eyes. “  
  
“Peter had to give me a hand at the end. There was an explosion. Got my eyes. Couldn’t see.”

“He told me. Peter was my best friend, made time for me, got me into the poker group. Got me to follow the Giants. I didn’t even like baseball. I went because Peter thought it was good for me. He liked it. And I could see Alice. Sometimes I’d stay for dinner or we’d take her out after a game. I miss Peter. Can’t replace him. “  
  
“You had a question?”

“Alice. You met her then. You were with her while Peter was gone.”

“While I was working on getting Peter released, yes.”

“I guess I shouldn’t ask this. I know I have no right to. I’m curious. Did you have an affair with her then. I mean now you’re married to her. How did you even get back in her life. “  
  
Terry is silent. Turns, puts his arm over the back of the seat. Looks at Dellums.

”I can see that you’d be interested. I didn’t have an affair with her then. While Peter was a prisoner. But Alice and I got close. She never saw me again after she was reunited with Peter. Last September, some friends of Nick were detained in North Korea. The parents of the kids asked her to contact us. Me and Dino. The men who saved Peter. She flew to Florida and met with me and Dino about the kids.”

Dellums asks, “So, you were like me in a way. Peter took her away from you too. You wanted her. I can see it. Did you hope Peter wouldn’t come back?”

Terry laughs. “No mate. The opposite. I had to bring Peter back. She had to have a choice. Couldn’t take advantage of the situation. Had to get Peter back.”

”She chose Peter over you.”

”She did.”

“You’re like me. You never got over her either.”

“In some ways, I am like you. Here’s the difference, mate, I was interested in what she felt about me not just what I felt about her.”

Dellums says, ”She wanted Peter. I accepted that. But after Peter, I just assumed she was mine then. That I just had to go get her. Pretty arrogant huh. Pretty deluded.”

Dellums adds, ”Terry, did you know Peter died?”

”I knew.”

”Did you want to go after her.”

”I thought about contacting her.”

“Yeah? You did? Thought about. But you didn’t do it?”

”No.”

”Why not? Were you with someone else?”

”Wasn't with anyone else.”

”Why not go after her?”

Hasan has been listening but keeping his eyes on the road. He turns and looks at Terry.

“Didn’t go after her, cause I thought she’d come to me.”

“She came to you about the kids.”

“Yeah.”

“Did you think she wanted to be with you then?”

”I wasn’t sure.”

“Mind if I ask what made you sure?”

Terry laughs again.

Hasan says, “Never heard this story. Yeah Terry, 20 years later. What made you sure?”

Terry is smiling. ”She made it clear. Second day she was there. In my beach house, I don’t have a TV. She noticed that. She asked about it. I told her I went to Dino’s to watch TV. He had 3 big TVs. And she said, “Well what if I lived here?” And I said, “Do you want to move in?” And she said “Do you want me to move in?” And I said p, “Yeah.” And she said , “Okay.”

Hasan, “Just like that.”

Terry smiles, “Well there might have been a little more to it.”

Dellums says, “She came after you?” 

“She came about the kids in North Korea, but she wanted to see me again.”

“She could have called.”

“Yeah I said that. Said, you could have called me. Called our office, Global. I have email. She said she wanted to see me.”

Dellums says ruefully, “I knew she wasn’t interested in me. Even before Peter. She was just being nice to me, going out with me. I just never met anyone else like her. And I nursed the phantasy and the ether helped.”

He continues, “Is that why you didn’t turn me in to the police, Terry. Or kill me. Your partner wanted to kill me.”

Hasan says, “I wanted to kill you. Iz still wants to kill you.”

Terry says, “Partly. A little. Yeah. But I don’t like killing people. It’s necessary sometimes. I do it. I avoid killing people for revenge or for punishment. I kill people if I have to to get a job done. Like with Peter’s rescue. Dino and I killed people. To get Peter, and there was a banker we rescued at the same time, we had to kill people, men, to get them out. I slit a guys throat. Made me sick. Puked. Then moved on to deal with the next guy.”

Hasan glances back at Dellums. “One of our guys was killed in Beirut, we had the guy who did it. Terry could have killed him. It would have been a punishment. Revenge. The guy wasn’t a danger to us. He was a very bad guy, but not a threat, not a danger. Was unlikely to cause any more problems for us.”

”You let him go?”

Terry say, ”Nope. He killed one of our guys, couldn’t just let him go.”

”You killed him?”

Hasan looks in rearview mirror at Dellums. ”Iz offered to kill him. Kind of as a gift to Terry.”

”And I said okay.”

Hasan still looking in the rearview mirror, “And Iz killed him.”

”So you didn’t pull the trigger, but you had him killed.”

”Consensus was that was the best disposition,”

“You are saying this to scare me. If I fuck up, you’ll tell Iz it’s okay to kill me. He wanted to kill me. He doesn’t care about my work, my importance. You’ll just give Iz the green light.”

Hasan shakes his head.”Iz and I both want to kill you. For what you did to McKenzie. If Terry gives the green light, Iz and I would flip for the honor. Or maybe we would do you together.”

“You talk right in front of me, to me even. How do you know I won’t talk to people, just tell them about you, about all this?”

”We assume you’ll do what is in your best interest. We are betting on our deal holding up.”

Dellums sags in the back seat. “Your deal with me will hold up. For lots of reasons. It is in my best interest. The recordings you have would ruin me. Most of the time, I’m a logical man.”

Terry still turned back over the seat. “Your logic. Thought we could count on it.”

Dellums says, “Yeah, you can.”


	32. Chapter 32

Hasan pulls the Honda up in front of the Bear Valley House where Dellums had been saying.  
"Uh, I don't have keys."  
Terry opens the glove compartment (cubby box) and gets keys out. He hands them over the seat.  
"Jay locked up for you. "  
Dellums looks at Terry then Hasan. "Uh, you want to come in?"  
"Yeah, thanks. Just for a few minutes."  
"This is really it?"  
"Yeah. The college fund. You can be in touch with Hasan for that. I'll leave a card."  
"I just go back to my life."  
"Might want to get that closet fixed. "  
"Yeah, okay. Yeah."  
They get out. Go into the Bear Valley House.  
"I have some clean up here."  
Terry sniffs, "Yeah smells like some clean up needed. Jay locked-up but couldn't really ask him to clean-up."  
"No of course not. It's okay. I'll get someone in."  
"We will be by to see you. At your home or at your office in a month or so.'  
"Eh would you call first."  
Hasan laughs. "Terry you think we should call first?"  
Terry laughs too, "Of course, mate. We'll call first. No problem."  
"Uh okay."  
Terry gets a business card out of his wallet. Puts it on the kitchen table. Call in a week and let us know how you are doing. Ask for me or Hasan or Dino."  
" Just ask for you?"  
"Yeah."  
"And they'll let me talk to you."  
"Yeah, just say who you are. One of us will talk to you."  
"One other thing. You said your life has been threatened. Would you like us to look into that. Do you have notes or anything?"  
"I have emails. They are from two years ago. Death threats. It was after some lectures I gave. One at the Commonwealth Club."  
"We can look into them if you like. Find out who sent them.'  
"Nothing happened."  
"Your choice, mate."  
" I guess I'd like to know where they came from."  
"Forward them to me. I'll have my cyber-guys take a look."  
Hasan and Terry start for the door.  
"Uh well bye. I'll do what I agreed to."  
"We trust you will."  
Hasan and Terry leave.

*  
They are in the car. The Honda SUV. Driving back to The Bay Area. Hasan is driving, he is a good driver, relaxed, patient, enjoying the road, the car. "You had a lot of choices. Why'd you go that way with Dellums.?"  
"What Alice wanted. Satisfied with it. You okay with it?”  
"Just barely. McKenzie is. She says what he did to her wasn’t personal. She doesn't think he's a danger to her. She blames herself for what happened. Feels she let you and Alice down. Feels you will think less of her. Doubts getting pregnant. Seems to have brought up a lot of doubts for her. About me, us, the baby, her abilities, competence. She knows she could have died. Could have lost the baby."  
"Yeah."  
"It's not like her to be careless.”  
"No."  
"She's having doubts. How about you?"  
"No. Baby. Marriage. Feels right to me. No doubts. After that night at your house. I was in shock for about 24 hours. Then I began to like the idea. The idea of having a wife, of having a baby. I see Jay and my sister. Jay’s the happiest guy I know. Would like McKenzie to quit. I hope you don’t mind. Just stay home with the baby. She's a good person. Always liked sex with her. She likes my poems.”   
Terry laughs. "All the girls like your poems. Maybe she can have her doubts now cause you don't have doubts."  
Hasan looks at Terry. "You ever have doubts about Alice?"  
Terry shakes his head. "No, never did. She has had some. But not me. Never had any doubts at all about her. It’s been over a year with her. When I met her, in Tecala, I knew her. Spent days with her. I could see how she was, how she coped. I knew her routines. I was in her house. But she didn’t know me. When she came last year. She was the same, basically. But she had to get to know me. I knew how she lived, her life, but she didn’t know mine. What my life was like. She’s had some trouble adjusting. I’ve been impatient with her. Have to remind myself she didn’t really know how I live.   
“No regrets?”  
“No. Fear. When I thought I might lose her, when Dellums came to the house the second time. I was afraid. Waited so long to be with her. Like just looking across the room at her. Knowing at the end of the day, she’ll be in my bed. Great feeling. I can reach out at night and she’s there.”   
Hasan is quiet for a little while. “McKenzie, you know men are attracted to her. Act stupid around her. I think what a pain in the ass it is to be ‘the guy’, you know ‘the guy that’s with her’. Like men look at her at men think about what it would take to get her away from me. Think she’s too much trouble. Then she comes up to me and takes my arm, and it’s like I’m the only one who really interests her and I think later I’ll be the one having sex with her. Yeah, confess I like that. And now Terry, this pregnancy. I look at her. And I think that beautiful woman is having my baby, wants to have my baby and it gives me this feeling. Ever wish you could have had a baby with Alice.  
Yeah. I would have liked that. But I have Henry, she has Nick.   
Hasan says, “Yeah. Two boys. Boys are good. Terry what if McKenzie’s pregnant with a girl. She could look like McKenzie.”  
Yeah she could. Wonder how young they take them in Krav Maga.  
  



	33. Hasan Drives Terry Home

“Where do you want to go?”  
“My house.”  
“I’ll drop you, then go to Jay’s and my sister’s.”  
“How’d they take it?”  
“Good. Yeah good. My sister she’s the big expert on babies, child care, pregnancy. She was into asking questions, making recommendations. They like McKenzie. Like the idea of a cousin for Chatty. Jay’s crazy about Chatty. You know about Jay’s mom.”  
“Killed in the attack July 6.”  
“Yeah. He said he finally got over her death. But when Chatty was born, he said, it was hard again. His mother’s name is Chantin. That is Chatty’s name. Chantin. “  
“Have you met McKenzie’s parents?”  
“No. They know. They are in North Dakota. My parents don’t know. I need to go to London. Tell them in person. Like to get married first. My sister invited them to her wedding. Pretty lavish. My dad refused to go. Didn’t let my mom go. “  
“I was going to walk your sister down the aisle ‘cause your dad wouldn’t come. But I got called away. Your sister looked like a goddess. Walked herself down the aisle. Jay wore a turban and cowboy boots.”  
“How’d you hire Jay?”  
“Have a couple of SAS guys keep an eye out for me. Anybody good. Language skills. Jay was good. Speaks Farsi. Very disciplined, good skills. Deadly. Easy to get along with. I took him right out of SAS.”


	34. Terry Comes Home

It is dark when Terry walks in. The door isn’t locked. He shakes his head.  
“This door should be locked.”  
Alice calls up to him. “Welcome home. The door is locked.”  
“Alice I just opened it. I just walked right in. It wasn’t locked.  
“It was locked. I locked it.”  
Terry walks down the stairs.  
“Not good enough, sweetheart.”  
“Isn’t there a rule, kiss before criticism?”  
“For wives and lovers or a general rule? Might make some of my guys uncomfortable. “  
He comes into the living room. Alice is on the sofa with a book on her lap. There is a fire in the fireplace. An open backpack and some ropes are spread out on the floor. Nick walks in.  
Terry walks over kisses Alice. “Missed you, beautiful.”  
”Uh Terry it was me. I didn’t lock it. When I came in. I had my hands full. I’m sorry. Mom said we were supposed to keep the street door locked. I forgot.”  
”I can set it up so that it stays locked. Locks automatically. But it is easy to get locked out that way.”  
”Terry I thought Dr. Dellums wasn’t going to bother my mom any more.”  
“Your mom is safe from Dr. Dellums. Just think the street door should be locked.”  
“Yeah, okay. Won’t happen again.”  
“What’s all this?”  
“Checking my ropes. Carabiners. Got a chance to do Rainier. Just doing an inventory.”  
”Good mate. Like to see someone taking good care of equipment.”  
“Terry, uh Noah wants to talk to you. He wants to work for you.”  
“Don’t know what he could do. But sure, I’ll talk to him. “  
Jenna walks in. “Dino just called. He wants to fly back to St. Augustine tomorrow. I’m going to have to leave in the morning. “  
“What about Mt. Rainier?”  
”Maybe. I’d like to do it, but I have a job, Nick.”  
“I know you have a job. It’s how I met you. Terry can you let her off? To climb with me.”  
”NICK. I like climbing with you. But I can ask for my own time off.”  
“You’re staying here, Jenna. Sleeping in my room. I don’t see why I can’t ask Terry to give you time off.”  
“Nick, let’s go out for awhile, talk about this.”  
“Yeah, okay. Let me clean this up. Then let’s go downtown. Get a sandwich, listen to some music. Okay Mom?”  
“Sure.”  
“Terry?”  
Terry nods.  
Nick puts up his ropes and back pack. Jenna and Nick go to Nick’studio under the garage. They get jackets, leave.  
“Alone at last.”  
“Are you hungry?”  
“I could eat.”  
“There is left over Chinese from yesterday that Nick and Jenna got. And there is Stroganoff I made today.”  
“Stroganoff. I like your Stroganoff.”  
“It’s really called Skid Row Stroganoff.”  
“Don’t care what you call it.”  
“I’m going up to get a shower. I wouldn’t mind company.”  
“In the shower?”  
“Uh huh. We have that nice big shower. Plenty of room for two. Then I’d like to have your Stroganoff, then sit by the fire. Maybe get out my guitar.”  
“Go on up.”  
“I’ll just put the Stroganoff in to warm up and I’ll come up. Uh Terry, I think I might like to get a dog.”  
“A dog, huh?”  
“Yes. A big dog. One that drools. One that would scare people. 


	35. Dog Wanted

Terry and Alice are lying in bed. Alice’s hair is still damp from the shower.  
“You never got your Stroganoff.”  
“Got something more important.”  
“Yeah? What’s that?”  
“Time in bed with the Stroganoff maker.”  
“I want a dog Terry. I talked to Charlie across the street. He said a dog is as good as an alarm system.”  
“He’s wrong. A good security system has advantages over a dog.”  
“I want a dog.”  
“We’ll get a dog.”  
“For now let me go have something to eat. All this exercise makes me hungry.”  
They go down to the kitchen.  
“Sit.”Alice points to the chair. Terry goes to wet bar between the lining room and the family room, gets our a bottle of wine, pours two glasses. He takes a sip of wine, puts the glasses down on the table. Alice is at the stove. He stands behind her, puts his arms around her, kisses her on the neck. She turns in his arms, kisses him on the mouth. Then pushes him back.  
“Sit.”  
He sits at the table.  
She serves him. Goes and gets the bottle of wine. Puts the wine bottle on the table. Sits across from him watching him eat. Sips her wine.  
“What did you do to Ward?”  
“Nothing.”  
“Nothing?”  
“Well we tied him up. Dino slapped him once. Kicked him once, not too hard.”  
“Terry. Was that necessary?”  
Terry stops eating. Takes a drink of wine. Looks at her. Stays silent.  
“Stop looking at me like that.”  
“Alice, we have had this conversation before. Do you think I know what I’m doing?”  
“I do. But you agreed to be patient with me. It’s a little out of my experience.”  
“Not in your wheel house? You didn’t want him hurt. You wanted him to leave you alone. Stop with the pictures of you.”  
“I did. “  
“We didn’t really hurt him. We scared him. And we scared him enough it persuaded him to stop making and collecting pictures of you. And he will create a college fund for Hasan and McKenzie’s baby.  
“You really kill people. You all do. You have killed people. You and Dino and Hasan.”  
“We have killed people.Yes.”  
“Did you want to kill Ward?”  
“For awhile I did. I was angry. I want you to be safe. I need to make you safe.”  
“You would kill someone to keep me safe.”  
Terry smiles. “You know.”  
“Nick”  
“Of course.”  
“Henry?”  
“Yes.”  
“Why didn’t you kill Ward?”  
“Not necessary to keep you safe.”  
“What about Hasan? McKenzie?”  
“McKenzie didn’t take it personally. Hasan and Iz favor killing him. But he is not a threat to her now. It would be punishment, revenge. Not a thing most soldiers feel all right about. Hasan and Iz both agreed to the arrangement we made. No more pictures of you. A confession. Expression of remorse. Reparation to McKenzie. I have a letter to you he wrote expressing his remorse.”  
“A letter? Can I see it?  
“Can see it and can see and hear him read it.”  
“What kind of dog do you want?”  
“A big drooling one.”


	36. Sad Nick

They hear Nick coming in.  
“Nick, Jenna, we’re in the kitchen.”  
“Just me mom.”  
Nick walks into the kitchen. He slumps into a chair.  
“Where’s Jenna?”  
“She broke-up with me. She went to her place.”  
“Why?”  
“I didn’t know. We are great together. Never met anyone like her.  
I always treat her well. I mean I’m a good boyfriend. She’s my best friend. She has no reason to break up with me.”  
“Terry, you know her. Why would she break up with me? I’m a good guy.”  
“Don’t know mate.”  
“She must have said something, Sweetie?”  
“I’m never gonna find a girl like her. Mom, there aren’t any girls like her.” He wipes his eyes. Sniffs.  
“I’m not crying.”  
Terry says, “We can see that. Your mom had a good question, did she give you any kind of explanation”  
“What she said was it was time. Time? What does that mean. Maybe she met someone else. Is she seeing someone else, Terry.”  
“Haven’t heard anything.”  
“I mean I have been with her a whole year. Why did she let it go this far?”  
Terry says, “She liked you. Liked being with you. You were outdoorsy. She liked the mountain climbing thing.”  
“What changed? I asked her? What changed? I asked her not to. To give me another chance. I asked her to tell me what I did wrong. “  
“What did she say?”  
“She said I didn’t do anything wrong. It was just time. You know Terry when I asked you to give her time off, to climb Rainier. I think she didn’t like that. Mom, I just feel kind of lost. I got pretty attached to her. Terry do you ever get drunk when you feel bad?”  
“Get drunk a few times a year, mate. Less than I used to.”  
“I just don’t want to feel like this. I want to call her. Everything looks pretty empty. I wish I’d never met her. No I don’t.”

“Terry okay if I have some of Dino’s scotch?”

Terry looks at Alice. She shrugs.

”Fine with me mate. No driving.”

”Of course not.”

Nick goes in to the bar in the living room. Pours himself a scotch, comes back in and sits with his mom and Terry. His phone buzzes. He holds it up to his ear. “Hi Noah. Las Vegas. No she’s going back to Florida tomorrow. No I’m sitting with them. Noah says Hi.”

Alice and Terry say Hi to Noah.

”No it’s fine. I don’t mind driving. You get the room. See you tomorrow.”

”Noah wants to go to Las Vegas to play in some poker tournament. He wants to try out some system. I guess I’ll go. Get my mind off Jenna.”

Nick goes in pours himself more scotch, goes out across the deck to his studio under the garage. 

Alice looks sad. “Terry, why did she break up with him?”

”She said it was time.”

”But what made it time?”

”Alice, you are probably better at figuring that out than I am.”

“Age, where they are in life. He’s still a kid. She’s a grown-up”

”Yeah. It was time.”

”He’s hurting.”

”Gonna hurt for awhile.”

Alice gets up, walks over to clear Terry’s plate. He pulls her into his lap.   
  
“I like coming home to you. I like thinking about you here when I’m away.”

”Soon you can think about me and the dog being here.”

”You're sure about this dog thing.” 

“Quite sure.”

_The end_

*******

Story continues at **20 Years Later Alice and Terry and the Otterhound** by Mariah Tess Jo Jasper (mariahtessjojasper )

https://archiveofourown.org/works/28207932?view_full_work=true


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